Only from Hate
by nopenopenopenope
Summary: Sasuhina with dashes of other parings. Hinata is kidnapped by sasuke in a fight. Sasuke remembers his past and his old feelings for the only girl who DIDN'T care for him. Can the true powers of the Sharigan only emerge from hate?
1. Chapter 1

Yay! My first Fanfic, sorry if it's crappy, I broke my back into this, so it's some of my best work.

Note: No SasuxHina haters! I know that it most likely happen, but I love the idea of this couple so. . . yeah. This Fanfic is a lot more about the story, but the couples supported are; Sasuxhina SakuxNaru and ShikaxTema

The forest was dead silent except for the periodic footfalls of three Kohona ninja. The forest was still as a picture perfect painting. But if you searched hard, you could make out three figures- two girls and one boy, running rapidly through the over-foliaged canopy.

"Naruto!" The whisper came from Sakura, a female ninja, her pale pink hair bobbing back and forth. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"My instincts tell me that he's this way, I swear." He replied, flashing a grin. Naruto was the only boy on the team, and of course the loudest, most cocky ninja in the whole village. Sakura sighed.

"Well, your **instincts** have led us all around this forest for hours, no avail." As she spoke she jumped ahead, clearly irritated.

"Um. . ." The third figure spoke up. Her dark hair was swept about, full of emotion. Her eyes, however, had no pupils, they were lavender and soft, like the petal of an endangered flower no one cared to save. The veins in her head were bulging with charka and she said timidly,

"My byakugan can see up ahead… there's a clearing we'll reach soon…" you could barley hear her talk, as usual. Yet, her words were the most useful of the three's comments.

"Thanks Hinata." Naruto spoke with his usual grin.

Hinata looked away, hiding her obvious blush.

"I-It was nothing Naruto-kun." She said, and joined Sakura up ahead.

"You guys! Wait up!" Naruto whined from behind, his footsteps becoming rapid as it started to rain.

The canopy kept most of the rain from hitting the group, but Hinata put her hood up anyway, hiding her luminous eyes.

After a few minutes, the group stopped short, as awe swept their minds and made their cocky attitudes shrink to miniscule pebbles. Before them, every tree had been knocked, blasted back, and in the center, was a gigantic crater.

Hinata's eyes widened,

"They're… everywhere!" she cried, and it was true, about every 20 miles a gigantic crater was blasted into the ground.

"What on earth could have done this?" Sakura was amazed as she looked, almost dazed by the raw power.

Naruto was silent, after a wile, his reply came in a whisper.

"Sasuke."

Hinata looked down, feeling sorry for Naruto, he had lost his best friend to the fangs of evil and blamed himself for it all.

"Look…" Sakura said, "There's an entrance inside of the crater! Come on!" She jumped from her perch in an old oak and skidded to the ground. Shortly followed by Naruto, and lastly, Hinata.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"There must be thousands of them!" An exasperated complaint rose out of Naruto. They were inside a never-ending labyrinth.

millions of doors stood silently in front of them.

They were inside Orichumaru's lair.

Grotesque patterns decorated the walls with barbaric intricacy, as they ran down the echoing hallways.

"Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan!" Hinata said, running frantically to try and keep up.

"Wha-!"

Hinata hit a stone, and fell expecting to fall flat on her face, as always but, she felt an arm around her waist, and hot breath upon her neck.

"Looking for me?" she was pressed against him, his cold voice sending shivers up and down her spine like winter's frost.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, grabbing Naruto by his jacket and turning to face him. He was their hated friend, and their beloved enemy.

"Let me go!" Hinata struggled, but it was no use, her feeble body was nothing against this monstrous creation.

"Hinata-kun! Give her back!" Naruto yelled, his eyes flashing, though there was barley any light.

"Byakugan!" Hinata said softly, as her eyes once again bulged with chakra.

"What would you want with such a weak team mate anyways Naruto?" Hinata felt as if she had been stabbed with a kunai, his snake like words wormed their way into her brain, driving her down and making her feel even more pathetic…

_Why I am so…worthless? _Hinata thought to herself, searching the room for a way to get free of Sasuke's iron grip.

…Then, out of the corner of her eye she saw something unexpected.

His chakra points! I thought only Neji could see… If I could just free one hand… 

Suddenly Sasuke Staggered, and Hinata slowly removed her finger.

"Why you little!" His eyes flared with anger, and Hinata heard the whirl of shurikens as the battle began.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto cried, and at once, he filled the hall with millions of clones, all rushing at the same time, same target. One thousand shuriken whirled at his enemy from all directions.

Hinata shut her eyes tight, though the Byakugan could still see.

"Careful Naruto! You'll hit Hinata-kun!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh, right… Hinata-kun." Naruto said as his clones backed off.

Hinata was being tossed around like an old doll. Sasuke wouldn't let go, even though she had given him a direct hit to the chakra network,. Her hands and waist were being held tightly now though, almost as if she were a weapon, a possession. As she remained silent, Sasuke shot around the hallway, destroying clones and avoiding petty attacks from Naruto.

Hinata finally opened her eyes and looked up.

_He's so strong. . . and cold... Naruto-kun, careful!_

Suddenly, Sakura's hands flew into non-stop motion and she muttered something before plunging her fist into the ground. A shudder resounded throughout the room as the hallway exploded into thousands of pieces, Leaving them in the center of one of the craters.

"Give up Sasuke!" Naruto screamed.

"hmmf" He smirked, Hinata still draped around his shoulders.

"Why should I give up? Your panting and I haven't even attacked you yet. Your pathetic, you and your pathetic female teammates."

Sakura's eyes widened in rage. "What did you say?"

Sasuke gave her no time to well in anger. He hurled Hinata to the ground and his hand lit up with a brilliant blue chakra, it sang like the stormy sky, and it looked as if the bright blue ball was almost alive. "Chidori!" At top speed, he flew towards them.

Hinata whimpered, trying hard not to cry, everyone was trying their best, and she was just lying in a huddled mass on the ground.

An explosion erupted from where Sasuke's chidori had hit, and little waves of lightning chakra were fluttering away like birds. Hinata finally found herself shaking, forcing her muscles to strain as she stood on her feet.

"Naruto-kun…I won't give up!" She fetched five shuriken from her pocket, and threw them as hard as she could, to catch Sasuke's attention.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Naruto, your so weak."

Sasuke demonic red eyes stared into the defiant blue of Naruto, pinned against the crater's rocky ground.

"Same with your girlfriends," He gestured to Sakura, who's unconscious body was limp on the ground.

"No, you're the one who's weak Sasuke." Naruto gasped for air, his heart pounding.

"You can only find happiness and strength by hurting yourself, that's-"

He gasped once more, seeing the fury in Sasuke's eyes.

"That's the thing that's truly…pathetic, you may be trying to avenge your clan… but you're just like your brother."

Blood spurted from his as Sasuke hurled him to the ground.

"Liar." His voice was interrupted by the whir of blades as he ducked, quickly avoiding all of the shuriken, exept for one...he caught it between his fingers and put it in his pocket. He looked up, there, Hinata stood, panting, her weak muscles straining.

"Hmmf, this'll be fun." Sasuke grinned as he saw the fear light up like a flame in her opaque resilient eyes.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto's vision was blurry, he heard shouts of Jutsu's and screaming, but he couldn't see…

"Sakura-chan…Where is she?" he murmured to no one in particular as he strained to see, knowing no one would hear him, as always.

Hinata heard him though, amid the pain in her fresh wounds and the everlasting thunk of her heart, she heard him calling for her, Sakura-chan.

"Sakura-chan… is she alright? I must…" He tried to get up, hearing Sasuke's curses from only a yard or two away.

It was then that Hinata felt her heart, almost shudder, as if Sasuke and Naruto both had grabbed it and were pulling it down, down to the darkness of failure.

She stopped running, she felt fresh new pain in her wounds, and she saw him, the one she had cared for and fought for all along, finally get to his feet, only to stumble blindly for none other than Sakura-chan.

She felt something hit into her again, but the pain was miniscule in comparison to her shattered heart.

"Weakling! Why don't you fight!?" Sasuke yelled, watching her bleed, her eyes lost in sadness.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said, staggering.

He was helping her up… they were…

"Fight!" Sasuke cried, shooting more weapons into her mangled body.

"Naruto-kun…" She staggered, knowing it was over…everything was over.

"I-I…I give up…"

She fell to her knees, and fell with her heart into the darkness, the last thing she heard was the silent mockery of Sasuke, and the smirking words of 'failure.'.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Naruto, Naruto, NARUTO!" Sakura's voice, he had heard it so many times before, she was so sweet…

"WAKE UP NARUTO!"

His eyes were blasted open, and he was staring into her fierce green eyes and the forest above.

"Sakura-chan! What happened?" he tried to sit up, but fell back. "Where's Hinata?" he asked.

"Hinata's gone." Sakura said, her eyes open and filled with worry and fear.

"Sasuke took her away."


	2. The Missing

((Okay so This was a really quick update for me, expect it to be slower, but yeah. Also, I'm sorry I used 'kun' for hinata, and I know she really isn't shy enough, but I'm really not good at perfecting pre-developed characters. . . . so yeah. Also, most of this has aready been thought out, but the further I get, the more I have to fill in myself, so ass it gets closer t the end, expect more delays. Reviews and random Sasuhina stuff make me happy, and make me write more.Wink wink nudge nudge Also, my space bar is jamming frequently, so if a bunch of words are clustered I'm really really sorry. I try hard to see if they're there.

Also, in my own little world, Sasuke has bi-polar disorder, that's why half the time he's super-angst and the other half he's slightly more sensitive.))

"No, No, NO!" Hinata screamed, her eyes shut tight in utter fright.

"Good job Sasuke, you got us a little birdie, perhaps she's what we're looking for."

Orichumaru's voice was even worse then Sasuke's, she could hear the evil and spite driving itself into her brain.

"Hopefully her big mouth is good for more then just screaming." His voice hissed in her ear.

Hinata opened her eyes, scared. That made Orichumaru pause for a second.

"A Hyuga?. . .Perfect."

He grabbed her arm and twisted, hard. "Tell us where it is, why don't you dear." Hinata screamed in pain and felt her senses breaking down in pain, her mind flailing wildly.

"I don't even know what your talking about!" Hinata tried to free herself, but she was already weak from her wounds from the previous fight which had taken place only a few days ago. Now she was trapped, Naruto had left her… with…Sakura… her eyes tried to blink the tears away… no avail.

She couldn't think, the pain was dizzying. She tried to figure out where she was, all she knew was that it was cold and dark.

"The reason your pathetic puny village has survived! It's hidden power! The power of Kohona!" His furious words echoed inside her cell. Sasuke just stood there, his arms folded in solemn disapproval, reminding her distinctly of her father.

"I have no idea!"

"Don'tplay dumb girl. I know your clan hides the secret."

He twisted again, this time his hands flying into a jutsu… she couldn't recognize any of the symbols he had formed, they were all so strange…

"White Fire No Jutsu!" his words were lit with malicious intent as Hinata felt searing pain, everywhere. "M-my body! I-It's on fire!" she stuttered. Inside she felt one thousand white hot flames, licking up her flesh and bones. Slithering up her body, sinking it's fangs into her soul. She screamed, one thousand times over.

"I don't even know!" she was falling apart, crumbling into the white merciless pain.

"Please, I'll do anything… just stop it! Leave me alone!"

"Just tell me and it'll all be over…" His face as white as the internal flames she saw his hatred, and his empty heart.

"I can't!" She moaned. "I –I don't know!"

Sasuke spoke up, still averting his eyes from her twisted body.

"Hinata is weak, if you put her through this, she's telling the truth." His eyes glinted, though she couldn't quite see. Red haze crept into her vision, blurring everything out of proportion. "Make it stop!" the pain was still attacking her, she felt it consume her eternally, as if it would never run out of things to destroy…suddenly…it stopped.

Hinata collapsed, her body unable to move from sheer relief of the pressure and pain. She felt frozen, numb, and stupid, as if someone had pulled a joke on her.

"If she doesn't know… then, there's no need for this pathetic ninja. "Orichumaru flashed kunai to her throat, and Hinata felt a gasp force it's way out of her paralyzed throat. She couldn't lift a limb, she couldn't defend herself, she was lost, no one would help her, she had nothing… she would fall, fail again. Yet, she felt it lift as Sasuke's face appeared in her delusional vision.

"Let her go Orichumaru." His voice was cold, yet his eyes held something in them she had never seen from him before.

"Oh, are you two attached?" his voice mocked… yet, he stood down. Sasuke had caught her again, only this time it wouldn't have been a mere fall.

"No." He said quickly, folding his arms back in their usual pose. "It may not look like it, but his 'worthless ninja' is the Heiress to the Hyugga clan. If she's on our side, she interrogate her clan for answers, and she can control the curse seal on every clan member except for her sister and dad, who will never attack her. Keep her alive… unless she disobeys an order."

Orichumaru looked at Hinata suspiciously, his eyes lingering on her curseless forehead, and her lavender eyes.

"I see." He grabbed her face in his clammy cold hand and moved it around, Hinata shivered silently.

"You're a lucky girl…I won't kill you yet… thanks to Sasuke. But one complaint and you're dead. Even as an heiress, your not useful enough in your pathetic state.If someone attacks you on your mission for us, you'll die within a few minutes. . ." He paused. "Sasuke!" Sasuke looked up.

"Hmmm?"

"You wanted her alive, you take care of her. She's your pupil from now on. Make sure she's no longer so…pitiful." Orichumaru looked at him, and Sasuke nodded silently, knowing he had protested enough for the day. He picked up Hinata and started for the door.

"Oh, and…to make sure you won't get away." Once again, Orichumaru's hands flickered into motion and his chakra shot out of his body, forming a shimmering sapphire shackle. "Chain her to her room,, it'll extend as she needs, but won't let her out of a 15 ft radius."

Saskue nodded, and he took the shackle, walking into the barbaric hallways.

"You know…" he said quietly, Hinata would have looked, but she was too exhausted to move.

"Your lucky I'm here, and feeling sorry for you, or else Orichumaru would have destroyed you."

"I- I know…Sasuke-kun." She said.

"This means that you owe me a favor, I'm not going to defend you just because Naruto likes Sakura more then you." The words stung, but Hinata stayed strong.

"I understand."

"Good. Starting now, you're one of the missing."


	3. Mixed standings

Hinata rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She hadn't been given a day to recover before Sasuke had woken her up at dawn. Hinata didn't mind, except for the harsh tone he was using, as if she knew she needed to appear in the first crater and find a way out of her shackle to meet Sasuke at 2:00 AM. The harsh conditions of her current situation was starting to affect her personality. It didn't make sense to her. Why? Why did Orichumaru want her trained? What made her something they wanted?

"First off, what's your chakra type." It was so funny as to how different it felt to be here now. How much things had changed in less than a week. She had gone from heiress to slave. At least now Sasuke was talking to her as a person… a lowly pathetic person, but nevertheless a person. She wasn't a pathetic animal now. She meant something, she guiltily felt the slight pleasure of being a small student again.

"I'm a water type." Hinata said quietly.

"Expected, you're very flexible, but you need to make use of your talent by mixing in speed and endurance." ((Authort's note: I couldn't help but crack up imagining Sasuke talking to hinata like this. I have a dirty mind))

He was cruel but kind as he gestured her out into the center of the crater.

"That means you'll be down on your knees gasping for lost breath when I'm done with you this first day."

Hinata nodded, and as she did, her jacket turned to the side nd something caught the sunlight. His eyes lit up.

"What do you have in your pocket Hinata?" he shot forward, faster then the most lightfooted of Kohona ninja, and he pulled a silver locket out of her pocket, seeking it glint in the light he smiled wickedly, his spirit like cold fire.

Hinata just looked down…nothing to stop him from opening it… from mocking her with savage laughter.

"Naruto?" It was his picture she had found, the locket was a dumb idea… but nevertheless, it held her heart and she what embarrassed at the fact that now someone knew.

His voice seemed to almost choke as he saw the picture. Instead of mockery she almost saw… sadness… softness… like a hawk feather snapped in half.

"Do you miss him… Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked slowly, not wanting to scare away the only remaining shreds of human left in Orichumaru's murderous pet.

Sasuke crushed the locket with his hand and spoke softly.

"No…not anymore." He paused before looking straight at her, his eyes like a hawk "What are you looking at!? Run until sunset! " It was an excuse to move away from the awkward common ground, and hinata gladly accepted the offer ,scampering off like a mouse.

Hinata had learned that there were 10 craters that actually mattered and led to the lair of Orichumaru, every other was a fake. Orichumaru also seemed to move every so often, so she was grateful she and Naruto …and…Sakura had been lucky.

As Hinata took off Sasuke felt himself crouch… slowly he opened his fist…letting the silver polished locket rest in his hand.

_All those years in Kohona… Naruto? We have more common ground than you think Hinata, yet there is one major difference. Both of us are outcasts, both of us were the weakest, beaten down by brothers. Yet… you do not have this hatred that I have? How is it possible that the calm white of your eyes is not mangled with detestation for Neji? He tried to kill you, I watched, I saw… and Naruto never saw, Naruto never cared about what happened to you… how do you still manage to love? How can you still exist in happiness when my energy comes only from hate?_

Sasuke closed his eyes and retreated to the shadows.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hinata gasped. The sun was slowly disappearing, and time seemed to go backwards she was moving so slow. her legs were ready to shatter, the hat stand trees and setting sky blurring. She couldn't stop now, he had to keep…going… she felt the wind whistling in her eyes.Fatigue was slowly catching up to her, but she had to run harder, faster

I'll show him, I'll show him I'm not weak like he thought! I'm better now! Always, always…he was watching, watching as if I were some pathetic animal in the zoo, so weak when he was so strong. But now, I'll win, I can do this! Her feet landed on the ground, as if she were walking on knives, pain shot up her agonized legs with every step. I am strong, I'll do this… She saw the ground move beneath her, and finally felt the comforting shadow which meant the day was done. She looked up… there was Sasuke… watching always, yet this time, there was something different… recognition…? Almost as if he knew what it was like… no… he was too strong… too perfect to know… 

Hinata felt her legs buckle from pressure and she fell, crashing, her hands covered in sweat and dust.

She smiled meekly. "I- I did it Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke walked over and knelt next to her. "You mean you survived…Hinata-chan. It will be a lot worse than this if you want to become useful, to anyone." He stood up, his arrogant tone angered her, but she was used to it slightly. Hewalked towards the center of the crater, where the passageway down to the barbaric tunnels lay.

Hinata realized she would have to get up.

"um…" she looked at Sasuke who turned round abruptly.

"What?"

"I-I haven't eaten… all day…well not since I was…." Hinata looked up. For once trying a pity card, one she thought she would never use again. However, her grumbling stomach made her comprimise.

"You want food? Go kill a deer and cook it. I'm not your servant, I'm your trainer, and **NOT** willingly. If you didn't realize…I own you. Get your own food." He jumped down the hole that led to the barbaric labyrinth below.

Hinata summoned up every shattered piece off strength she could possibly grab, and got up, feeling the groan in her legs as she stumbled for the entrance.

OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hinata felt the Sapphire shackle clink around her wrist as she looked through the remains of her pack. Her food was gone… all but a single kunai was left of her weapons. They had left her with her change of clothes though, and she pulled on a shirt that would serve as her clothing for the night. Who knew what was watching…

She yearned for the simple feeling of a river flowing over her worries, or the picture of Hiyashi and Neji that lay by her bed.

Clink.

The shackle kept shaking. No matter what she did it rattled non-stop, driving her mad. However she didn't complain. At least she was alive. She was confused by everything that was happening so qickly. Once again her mind settled on the question _Why do they want me? Why do they think I will do what they want? _Her mind avoided the question '_Why do I do what they want' _before surveying her room. Hinata saw a cot just reaching 6 inches above the floor, and she knelt down on top of it, smoothing out the creases, as if it was her downey bed from home. As she collapsed, the sweat slowly evaporating, from every pore she realized just how terrified she was. She had felt fine, but now, the after shock hit her with a wave of terror.

What will they do to me if I fall asleep? Why did they spare me… what if they use that jutsu… what if Sasuke makes me kill Narut-

Her fear doubled as a sharp knock cut off her thoughts.

"Hinata-kun?"

It was Sasuke.

Clink.

She pulled down her night shirt and opened the door. What could he possible want?

"I…I brought you food." He looked away, his dark hair hiding his eyes. Not that you could see very well anyway. He felt like a fool, he couldn't understand why he was helping her. She'd just be a burden in the end. Why was he feeding her weakness?

_Because she's all you have left of home_. Said a voice. It was right, He couldn't rid himself of the past when it was staring in the face with it's loving calm eyes.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Naruto stop struggling! You'll be fine!" Sakura had her hands pressed to his chest, as the 'Brave Uzumaki' was bawling like a little kid. Through the struggling, Naruto was actually pleased. Her hands were cool against his sskin and he recived a smack from Sakura as she saw his expression.

"It'll hurt! I know it will!" he closed his eyes and flailed his arms again, as the pain from punch faded.

"Here, let me help you Sakura." a voice resounded, deep and strong.

"Tsunada!" the Hokage walked in the room and Naruto looked up.

"Oh great… granny helping is the last thing I need."

"Naruto!" Sakura socked him in the shoulder.

"OUCH! What-cha do that for!?!"

"Don't insult her, she's a much better ninja then you could ever hope to be!" Sakura removed her fist, and began to move her hands swiftly.

Naruto felt himself drift, out the window, past Team Gai's four person pep-rally, past the mountains to the forest, acres and acres until he found the horrid memory of the craters.

He had failed Hinata.

"There, all done!" Tsunade and Sakura exclaimed in unison, their likeness more and more apparent.

"Huh?" Naruto shook his head and looked up.

"Ugh." Sakura sighed. "Not even a thank you… so typical."

"Give him a break, he's a boy." Tsunade said, as they started for the door, leaving Naruto to his daydreams and memories.

Hinata… are you still alive? 

((XP I'm sorry for the long wait for this update (though not many ofyou read this) my internet was obliterated by snow, and right now I have people telling me Sasuke's too mean and he's too nice. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO PICK! ARRGGH! Right now I'm going with trying to stay borderline, but if enough people tell me to make him go one way or the other I will. You can do that by reviewing (hint-hint) my story, or sending me a message(As soon as I realize of messaging works here.))


	4. Confusion and a Flowering Bud

Hinata stared into space, counting every leg shattering training session on her fingers. Seven days. She had been here for a week. Each day had been the same, she would get up, each time taking a few seconds too long and causing Sasuke to yell at her through the door. Each day she would run until she couldn't run anymore, and he would say. "It'll only get worse tomorrow." Yet, every day, when she thought she was alone. He was there, and every day… he said somthing so… unlike him, such as.:

"Hinata, I can tell you're stronger." Or when she felt the dust and the blood in her mouth when she fell from exaustion, he would help her up and say simply "Everyone falls sometimes." Each time, all she could do was stare. He was so unlike Naruto, even when he was nice… It was night now, and she was sitting in a position she never thought she would be close to. Sitting on the floor of Orochimaru's (There Anon, I spelled it like you like.) lair, next to… Uchiha Sasuke…

"So…I'll uh…I'll see you later okay,"

Sasuke got up, leaving Hinata to her nightmares and a fresh coat of fear, topped off with confusion.

_Why was he so nice to me? _She thought, climbing under her pathetic sheets, shivering.

_And what do I do now?_

I hate this feeling…it's horrible, I'm all alone, and just when I think all I can feel for him is hate, he says something which makes me doubt myself. Kiba, Shino, Neji…Naruto, This is horrible I just want to be in Kohona with you guys, I want to fail another mission. I want to go to the ramen stand and listen to Naruto and Kiba argue. I want to see my little sister take the Chunnin exams, years before I could ever try. I want to feel our small city evolve. Hinata had always noticed something was different about Kohona. Even when traveling, she didn't quite feel as if the people were the same. There was something that kept everyone together in Kohona. Something deep, that ran beneath all petty differences. 

Hinata lost control and began to cry. Tears were the first wash her face had since the first day.

"I want to go home… " she whispered. "I miss my family."

"Yeah" Sasuke said, as he walked away. Not wanting to evesdrop on her anymore.

"I miss mine too."

His melancholy was met by Orochimaru, cold and cruel, his whisper so different from Hinata's.

"If you don't mind, I'll remind you that you had training an hour ago. If that girl is distracting you… I'll kill her, I won't care if she's a Hyyuga heiress anymore."

"I understand." Sasuke bowed his head in utter submission..

They parted in silence.

Orochimaru…what do you really want with Hinata? 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HINATA!" Naruto felt the hot dog breath of Kiba sink its odorous fangs into his neck.

"Sasuke took her! I couldn't do anything I swea-" He was slapped.

"Bastard! You're so worthless!" Kiba was fuming, Akamaru, now slightly larger, whined at his side.

Kiba finally released his grip on Naruto and turned. Shino was sitting, his eyes glinting behind his glasses.

"That's it, if you won't get her back, I will! I'm leaving!"

Naruto sighed, and looked away.

"Now you're the one who's being stupid, who will go with you?"

Kiba turned, furious.

"I'M THE STUPID ONE? I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE I CARE! YOU OBVIOSLY DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA!" His gave a sharp intake of breath before saying quietly.

"Neji and Shino… that's who'll come and help me, you _obviously_ are too busy to help the only girl who ever cared for you, ever."

Naruto tilted his head.

"Huh?"

Kiba's eyes widened

"You didn't notice?" Kiba closed his eyes and sighed.

"Your even worse than I thought." Kiba turned, picked up Akamaru, (who was getting harder and harder to carry) and muttered, irritated "Let's go." Before storming off towards the training grounds.

"Naruto. . ." Sakura tapped him on the shoulder from behind. "It's fine… if there's one thing that I've learned from working with you all these years, it's that… you're not as foolish as you look." She smiled warmly.

"Thanks Sakura…by the way…" Naruto looked at her, "Would you want to… go to Ichigo ramen with me? I'd pay, I swear." The light was distorted from the leaves, it danced uncertainly among the daises and cosmos, but never left a certain flower, an unknown bud, and Sakura felt the akwardness sink in.

"Er… ." She remembered Sasuke's satanic manner, and looked into her teammates desperate face.

_Throw a dog a bone, you might _ be greatful later.

"Sure." She closed her eyes.

Naruto smiled a big, stupid grin.

"YES! I'M THE LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WORLD, BELIEVE IT!"

"Naruto…" Sakura folded her arms.

"Yeah?"

"Never, ever say 'believe it' ever again."

"It's a done deal, lets go."

As they walked away, the light left the rose bud in a fleeting daze, and, very slowly, it began to bloom.

((Yeah…. Short chapter, I know, but hey, I had a writing competition, as well as the fact that my keyboard is slowly dying. Plus my parents are bugging me about grades, which aren't stellar, but nothing's below a C, I promise.

So, I currently think my story needs at least one more pairing. I'm letting you decide. Currently the setup is 75 gradual Sasuhina, 20 slightly unrealisticly fast Sakunaru and 5 random Shikatema. I would like 4 pairings, the main pairing has to stay Sasuhina (no shit) and don't harm my Shikatema. However, Sakunaru (Narusaku?) really doesn't do much for me, so if enough people randomly tell me they want Sai's cousin joe to swing in and steal Naruto's heart turning him gay, and Sakura goes and becomes a ninja sniper gradually falling in love with ino… cool beans. I just want four pairings, and ones that are fairly easy to write. (An example of what I can't do is Kurinai and Asuma. Love the pairing, can't write anything on them because it's too smooth.

Let me know what you think, and keep it low on the flame level, my puny writer's heart can only take so much.))


	5. A possesion, or something more?

((Okay, special thank yous to daydream14 and animeprincess619 who have reviewed so much! I almost have 2k views on this thing! Awesome! Also, pairing wise I'm leaning towards ino and kiba., yays for that.

Also about the honorifics. Well, I started and created the first chapter of this during the summer before I understood what honorifics, I thought there were only 2, kun and san. God I feel stupid, but I'm way too 'busy' (in this case means I don't feel like it) to fix the errors. Also, if I didn't already say, my keyboard is slowly parlying. Now the letter after y key, shift (thank god there are two of those) and control key are all busted. Most mispellings are due to the fact tat I can't readily access spell check without going through thousands of 'by Hinata did you mean hinder?' and that crap.

Oh, and yes, this chpter is sort of fluffy and sparatic, sasuke gets caught being too nice. BUM BUM BUM! He'll be normal by next chapter.))

Hinata followed him back to the lair…to the darkness. She was tired, as usual for he had grueled her through endless formations and jutsus, just as usual. She wondered what it was all about. Why on earth would Orochimaru have her train. . . and with Sasuke? There had to be an alterior motive. She kept her thoughts to herself though, as usual. He did the same, she wished he would speak t her, give her someone to talk to.

"This way." He prodded her to the left, like a cattle. Hinata was very keen on directions, but no matter how hard she tried to memorize every door, she always found herself lost. She always found herself guided like the blind…by Sasuke.

She fiddled with her fingers and murmured "Sorry, Sasuke-kun." 

By now Hinata was used to Sasuke's mood swings, and could now tell the subtle difference of 'I'm being quiet and enjoying myself' or 'I'm silent and angry, go away' a feat even Sakura hadn't accomplished…Sakura.

In her remembrance of the kidnap, and Naruto… she lost control. Her pale eyes welled with tears and her shoulders snapped forward and her legs gave way as she collapsed, sobbing. The halls echoed her with pitiless scorn.

"Hinata-chan…" she waited for the critisism, for the hatred. It did not come. Sasuke didn't know what to do… when** i**t had happened, he had cried forever. No one had come, and he had felt himself internally wishing that someone would have comforted him then. Yet now, when someone was like him, locked in misery… he didn't have the courage to help her.

"_She thinks you're inhuman, why should you do anything for her?" _a voice asked. Immediately another answered, "_To prove her you're not"_ With that, Sasuke hid his eyes, and reached his hand out to the girl, crying for all she had lost. In a way, it was like reaching his hand over the expanse of time, to the small child all alone he had known himself to be.

Hinata was in shock. "_What's going on! Why is he helping me, what do they want?"_ The last thought was covered in exasperation. Yet, despite all the suspicions she hid beneath her delicate eyes…she grasped his hand, and though pitifully weak, The Hyyuga, for the first time, felt at peace with the stoic Uchiha as White met black. 

Her eyes held newfound confidence, he noticed. They were assuming they were strong. 

In her haste to get up, Hinata overwhelmed her exaused body, and her face flushed with embarrassment as she fell backwards. _"Was that a smile?" _she thought, even more confused as the Uchiha turned away, smirking. Her newfound confidence was repleaced with shame.

"…_So weak_…_so…cute…Wait, what?_" Sasuke paused, squinting… friends, teammates, boys or girls just got in his way. How could he be distracted so easily… yet still…

"Hah…it's alright…lets go." His coldness seemed to have vanished almost, this kindness seemed unreal, his slight smirk of a smile and his hands, reaching out to her like a boy to an abandoned puppy.

"Uh…Sasuke-kun?" she broke her train of thought as embarrassment flooded her face once more.

"I…can't get up…" Her legs were shaking and she felt as if the thunder had shattered her bones and her blush had burned the remains.

"Here." Hinata uttered a gasp of shock and surprise as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted.

"I'll carry you."

_Kiba…Shino…Neji…Naruto…I changed my mind… this isn't…so bad._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Guh…" Sasuke's head hurt, he was lying face down in his room, drenched in sweat. Hinata's training was nothing compared to Orochimaru's daily torture. 

He was also confused… by himself, he felt that the Hinata was rubbing off on him. Kindness was contagious…_ "And also fatal."_He thought to himself, as he slowly got up.

He smirked think of her, her blush she was his to play with, his toy. Yet part of him was tugging. _"You are a tool. Revenge should be your only pleasure._"

The rest of him disagreed. That was it. She was just an object to him, nothing more, and he was protective of his posssions.

"Mine," he whispered. 

_Orochimaru gave her to me, she's my student, my possession, she's weak and therefore I own her._

The man himself turned his head to the side, his snakelike features twisting into a satanic grin. "Sasuke…" the lack of Honorific made him feel uncomfortable…

He gave a blast of chakra and Sasuke fell to the ground, gasping for breath, His sharingan wasn't fast enough to even catch the slightest move.

"You couldn't be thinking of anything but revenge…right?" As Sasuke staggered to his feet.

"Because if you're not, you and your…_**toy**_… will suffer." With that, training was over, and Sasuke slumped in the dust, blood slowly mixing with saliva as he spit on the ground.

"I have suffered…enough."


	6. A Door in the Shadows

Note: No SasuxHina haters

((Weather a Yay or Nay for you, I'm updating twice in a week!

Alright, so soon I might get a new keyboard and everything will be cool with the type-os and lack of decent grammar. Until then, bear with me. I found a strenuous way to get my z key to work so that's all good.

I'm also brimming with all manner of fluff for starting a shikatema fanfic, but I'm nervous to start because that one would be long, yet easy going to write, and it might interfere with this one.

OH! I almost forgot, two things. One, people seem to have a disclaimer somewhere in their stories, so this counts as my disclaimer. NARUTO IS NOT OWNED BY ME, AND IT'S COPYRIGHTED! BLARG!

That should count for the whole story.

Two, if ay one of you knows any good AMV makers, I don't know what I could offer you, but I would LOVE a Sasuhina video to Crooked teeth by Death Cab for Cutie. 'cause Naruto would be the one who's devouring them both in that one line…

I ramble, my bad. Onward with the writing!))

The small scratches next to Hinata's pathetic excuse for a bed told her she had been a captive for a month and a half. She hated to say it, but she was becoming accustomed to living as a subordinate of a former enemy. Perhaps it was her broken heart, or perhaps it was the training she was receiving making her slowly stronger, or perhaps it was this strange feeling that here she was needed. Regardless of what it was, her cold torment was not as expected. She felt about the whole ordeal as she felt about Sasuke. She wanted to hate it, she knew it was bad, and she missed everyone so much. All this place did was starve her and beat her senseless with brutal combat lessons. However, hating was not in her nature, and this strange tingle of being slightly helpful made every painful feeling worth it.

She looked back to the marks, and her white eyes closed as her mind drifted from the dark twisted deapths of the lair to Kohona.

The Chunnin exams were over, she had missed her sister. Hanabi…she was… everything Hinata wasn't… and everything her family needed.

"Perhaps…it was a good thing I…left." She spoke to herself only, unaware of how the light reflected on some smooth surface, peering just inside your door.

Hanabi had pulled her team to the top, she had trained and worked so hard with Neji… She was taking the exam so early. She recalled the frightful experience of the forest of death… and the blows Neji sent that had almosts killed her. As she always knew, hating was not in her nature. She had forgiven him, for after all it was this defeat which made her stronger.

Hanabi was probably this year's Sasuke or Gaara. She remembered the old Sasuke and involuntarily smiled. That Sasuke was a joke compared to the one she knew. The old Sasuke was so… human. It was tough to keep the fragments of human in Sasuke, especially when he was trying to pound the human out of you at the same time. However, she considered it her new duty, and she got up only to jump in fright.

A face… through the door…

"Kabuto-san?" She said, shaking slightly.

"Come with me." He said, and he firmly fixed the Sapphire shackle on her that Sasuke usually kept off.

Clink.

It drove her mad.

As they made themselves down the ever slopeing corridors, Hinata accidentally took a wrong turn-

A swish and a clinking noise and she found herself pressed into Kabuto, a kunai at her neck, her eyes staring into the darkness. Besides the sickening closeness which would have made her previous self faint, (the current self was able to escape with a burning blush) she felt this arrogant controlling and rude manner with her was hurting her Hyyuga pride.

"I wouldn't advise going that way… Hinata-chan" He spoke as if he knew her well… she realized no one here knew her well.

The only person who came close to understanding was… Sasuke.

She gasped as the kunai cut into her neck slightly and she was bent further into him.

Clink.

The shackle and Kabuto together made her lose it, Hinata had cracked.

Her Hyyuga pride and instinct overwhelmed her normal nature and she made a sudden spin which involved biting the kunai and ducking as well as kicking backwards at the same time.

The result was a shocked Kabuto, caught off guard by her reaction and sprawled on the floor, as well as a very flustered Hyyuga.

"I may be a Hostage…but-" before she could finish, Kabuto lurched forward in anger and knocked her out with one impressively accurate pressure point. However, this also activated her byakugan, and the last thing she saw was a strange wooden door with the simple character of "Forbidden" traced upon it.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sakura sighed, why had she agreed to this? She was supposed to meet him here, and she was early a few minutes just so she could have sufficient time to mentally smack herself. She was going out with who? On a date with who? Which annoying loudmouth again?

A drop of water hit her head and she looked up at the sky, grimacing as a drop splattered on her exceptionally large forehead.

Her eyes swept down, but then looked up as a new pair of feet approached her.

Someone who she had never seen stood in the meek light of the setting sun.

His blond hair hung in his face and reflected the red of the sun and the slight shine of the rain. His eyes… they stared at her, overflowing with kindness. It took her a good ten seconds to shake her head and realize she was staring at Naruto. Naruto!

Who would believe how different he looked in the rain. She avoided his eyes, scared of how they had previously enticed her.

"Am I late or something?" he said, tilting his head to the side.

"No… not at all." She smiled, and then started to walk, becoming more and more aware of the fact that they were both getting soaked.

"By the way… Naruto… your hair… it's"

"Oh no! it's hanging isn't it…" he said, immediately reaching up to try and return his hair to it's normal sickening spiked state.

"No no… it looks fine."

By then they had reached the ramen shop, and ordered, sitting down in the warmth of boiling water.

Naruto took off his jacket, as it was soaking and Sakura found herself once again lost in his eyes as they talked of previous missions, and other pleasant conversation.

"Here's your order." The cook smiled and Naruto flashed a grin before turning to shovel as much noodles as he possibly could into his mouth at once. This earned him a smack from Sakura, and he swallowed, wincing.

"NARUTO! Don't you have any idea what to do on a date?!" She gradually slurped her noodles as he rubbed the lump now forming on his head.

"Nope… not really." His hair was in his face, but it didn't hide the gleam of childish pleasure in his eyes. There was a pause, and then, as if on cue, the two burst out laughing, shaking the small stand to the point that they were yelled at to stop, which only made it worse. She felt like a kid again. Not the shy whiney girl she had been, but a real kid. The adventurous childhood she never achieved was all there as they paid and left.

As the sky and darkness settled over them, a mixture of guilt, happiness, confusion, and sheer bravery shook them both, and awkwardly they clasped hands, vanishing into the smiles and strange chances night gives to those who can see the wonders in life.


	7. Strange Things

Note: No SasuxHina haters

((Another update, lucky you! I felt like writing angst. Double lucky you! Also a note that I am adding Karin into my story, and since I am the god of this fanfiction and therefore the god of a know world of Naruto, Karin is like the replacement for the Sound Four, as well as someone who works with Oro-baka.

A second note about what time this is. Most would think this takes place in part two, but actually this is during the two year time-skip. Akamaru is about the size of a greyhound, everyone's changed clothes, but hinata is a late bloomer and has yet to acquire her long hair and outfit.

Also, my friend Flaming Goddess has now uploaded a chapter of her first fanfiction. It's Narusaku, which is almost as cool as Sasuhina, but doesn't have enough Angst.

I think I need to stop going on about angst… oh well.

Angst queen (Sky) ))

Twisted trails of blood carved their way into Sasuke's mind, everything was ending, his world had been shredded to pieces by the one he trusted. The one he loved… he would never make a mistake like that again.

"BROTHER!" He screamed with every ounce of pain and emotional agony, as if he was ripping his heart out with that one foul word. He would be ready this time, but no, the door opened, the bloody trails carved deeper, deeper, sinking their message, cutting the words deep into his wrists, his arms, his neck, his chest, his soul. _**Weakling. **_They whispered all his memories, all he'd done wrong, pounded his brain with every mistake.

It ended with the accursed word. _**Brother**_ How dare his enemy do this, how dare the world end! It was not the right of earth. Nothing like this should have, could have happened.

But their faces! Every eye, red as the death bodies that held them. Every twisted mouth, they hung open as the ghosts of all he once knew floated away.

To heaven or hell, he did not know which way they went.

But their faces! One… he noticed, one was alive, how dare one be alive while the others die! How dare one be spared in this massacre! How dare anything be even close to right in this delusional world!

"Leave this earth!" he screamed, his rage welling up, his blood rushing through his veins. For now, every single dead body bore his brother's face. Smashing them, caving in the hollow ribs, gouging the eyes out of every face. The cold flesh froze his soul.

"DIE!" he smashed a chair against the wall, now sobbing as he looked at the bloody trails, now caused by him.

"You've died a thousand times before." Finally he came to look upon the body of the one still alive. It was his mother. How dare she. How dare she give light to someone who would do this. How dare she give light to either of them. Grabbing a knife, seemingly from nowhere, he brought her to darkness, slashing and screaming and crying out, for both of them were the only ones left.

Now… he was the only one left. As she closed her eyes, the pale face slowly stilling he noticed her eyes were not red… but white… and the face if his mother, was not his mother's face at all.

It was the face of Hinata Hyyuga.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sweat drenched the bed as Uchiha Sasuke broke out of the hellish world he called 'sleep'.

If only humans could survive without it, he'd walk the world forever, and such strange things would never happen.

Strange things… were happening ever since she had come. He swore around the corned, he saw the blue eyes grin of Naruto, in every echo of his footsteps he heard Sakura, laughing and saying "Sasuke-kun!" yet none of these things compared to the white eyes that filled him with childish nostalgia.

He realized another strange something… an old feeling… an old realization. He remembered. Naruo staring him in the face… then his head drifting towards Sakura… Sakura had her eyes on him… but he had his eyes on… Hyyuga Hinata.

Yes! He remembered, he remembered seeing her cry, he remembered watching her, before he realized she was watching… Naruto. He had ruined both their lives. Thanks to Naruto, he had no place in his soul to love her. Thanks to Naruto, Hinata had no place in her heart to love him.

But… these things did not matter. Not anymore. All that mattered was avenging the past, not continuing it.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Hinata woke up and noticed a strange thing… stuttering… she had stopped stuttering! The habit she had tried so hard to put away long ago had now disappeared all by itself. She wondered why… She thought of every time Hanabi or Neji had told her

"Hinata-chan." The words were cruel, too cruel to belong to Sasuke, not cruel enough to belong to Orochimaru.

"Kabuto-san…" she froze up, but tried to remain in façade of calm, if she let herself be weak…or like her natural self at all, bad things would happen. She knew that.

She slowly looked up. She was correct, the gleam of glasses mocked her. He was still quite angry with her, and for once she found herself holding a grudge.

"Orochimaru-sama wants you and Sasuke. She's come back."

"She?" Hinata was puzzled, as far as the halls she had explored, there were no female nins except for her in the entire complex.

"She. Allow me to escort you, Hinata-chan." If she was braver, she would have refused, but she wasn't, so she brushed her hair back (It was getting a little too long for her taste.) and got up, politely walking in silence, until Kabuto said, his words strangely devoid of their usual cocky stupidity

"Why don't you run… Hinata-chan? Though you have that shackle, I've seen Sasuke take it off when he's with you. I could take it off right now if you threatened, you could escape… why do you stay?"

The thought had never occurred to her…Escape…

"Perhaps… something strange… something one cannot see with the veil of reality… perhaps something strange has prevented me from ever leaving. Perhaps it is not a physical chain that connects me to this place… but one of memories, and the shreds of humanity I see, that refuse to be destroyed."

She said a lot, which was so unlike her. This place brought out all the hidden sides of all the people, things, and ideas.

Sasuke soon joined them, and the conversation was silenced.

"Nice to know you are getting along." Orochimaru was right there. She could grab a kunai, she could be at his throat, she could kill him. She could do so much good right now… but there was something, an invisible bond… a strange thing that connected both her and Sasuke. Perhaps it was that same thing that connected every part of Kohona.

What happened next was something completely unexpected.

"SASUKE-KUN!!" Something that reminded her oh-so-much of Ino sped by so quickly not even a Sharingan could have seen it. However the red… person was found completely engulfed in Sasuke… he was disinterested as usual and he replied with a

"hn."

The third strange thing that happened that day was a feeling of Hinata's. She saw the hair, one side messy and untamed, the other perfectly straight… she felt her blood begin to boil.

The same feeling when she was brought here as Naruto called for Sakura

_Naruto…_ His smile was a distant memory now.

This feeling was worse though. This feeling was a feeling she could have never felt a year ago… the feeling of

"Off him, Karin." Orochimaru said

… slight jealousy? Of her confidence, that's for sure…

Hinata shook her head as the girl reluctantly removed her arms, shocked at the sudden coldness that came from the Legendary Sannin.

"So…" Kabuto said, breaking the awkward silence looming around the corner.

"How were the Chunnin Exams?" Hinata's eyes went wide. _Hanabi!_

"Oh… they were alright. Not as successful as the ones two years ago." she said, eyeing Sasuke

"There was one girl though, very small, with white eyes who-" she noticed Hinata, ands clenched, an expression of intensity on the once-shy face.

"Looked a lot like you… are you also a Hyyuga?"

"Yes…" Hinata said slowly, before the sentence tumbled out of her mouth

"Hanabi! What of my sister?!" Karin glanced at Orochimaru, and then at her stuff, a back pack and a large lumpy grey sack of god knows what.

The Sannin gave her a glance which Hinata could not read, and said

"She was too young for the curse seal. Lucky bitch, your sister is still free from us for another year."

Hinata flinched at the words, stepping back, but was grateful for the sentence anyway.

"Now, Orochimaru-sensei. I must show you the details of my findings."

She Hoisted the large sack over her Back, and, turning slightly, headed down the hallways…

That hallway… led to the forbidden door.

As the two passed by, hinata saw through a hole in the bag a flash of something white…

Strange things happened here, and she was becoming a part of it.

Sasuke was watching two. _Annoying girl._ He thought simply, and as he turned to leave… he caught a glimpse of Hinata, her face pure and full of questions. He stared for quite a long time.

_**Your heart is full of hate, where would you go?**_

_I… would make room for her._ He thought_ I would make room for her in my hole of a heart._

As the three remaining Chakra signatures disappeared, Karin finally decided to speak.

"So… Orochimaru-sama… why did you have me lie?"


	8. Shredded Clothes and a Realization

"Neji

"Neji?" The door to the Hyyuga Mansion was as tall eerie and still as it was whenever Kiba went to pick up Hinata… this time, he was here for he in a different way.

"Neji?" He repeated again, but all remained silent.

He knocked loudly, and a small thunk resounded from inside, and-

"Dude… what the hell happened to you?"

Neji's eyes were white as ever, but a sickley red tinge of hate moved behind them restlessly. There were depressions aroundhis eyes where the chakra veins usually buldged. The baggy eyes and baggy clothing also suggested lack of food and lack of sleep and the once confident and stoic ninja now looked on the verge of a breakdown.

"We're leaving today."

"I know." They had gone over plans, and from information from Sakura (Whom couldn't go on the account of a medical crisis) had deduced where the hidehout was. Their only goal was to take back whatever they could, plans, Hinata, Sasuke… anyone or anything.

Shino stood outside as well, his face so hidden he looked more like a pile of dirty laundry than a ninja. Suddenly, this sun-shy lump of grey was knocked over by an orange flash.

"Oi, Kiba!" it yelled, and as both figures turned around their eyes adjusted and they saw Naruto, standing on Shino who was pouting about not being noticed.

"Who said you could leave without me?"

The dog-boy sighed, and everyone knew there was no escape.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't forget to shut up."

Naruto leapt off Shino, veins popping in his head "What?"

"I said, don't forget to shut up. You're too loud, too annoying, and too careless to be allowed to talk. I'm the mission leader this time, and I think everyone here agrees with me when I say you don't care about Hinata-chan enough to be on this mission. However, we need help, so you can come on the account that you don't bug me." The last words struck Naruto and the lines on his face deepened.

"Of course I care about Hinata-chan! I-"

"That's why you didn't notice when she tried to speak. That's why you turned away whenever she would try to speak up, that's why when she left early at practise to watch you grow, all you could do was call her weird, and blunder after Sakura-chan like the filthy, pathetic, mindless, creep you0-" Neji caught the enraged Kiba by the arm, his eyes dead with loss. "Give it a rest. We need to work hard if everyone's going to make it out alive, and that includes Hinata and Sasuke."

Kiba nodded, and looked at Naruto, who was looking at the ground. Shino got up slowly, and brushed himself off. He was sulking. Everyone sighed before a great silence enveloped the foursome. They all leapt among the trees in different ways.

Kiba's feet pounded the wood of the forest with such anguish that it was suprizsng the branches didn't snap.

Neji was lightfooted and sloppy, as if nothing mattered to him anymore.

Shino was silent, as always, but he didn't seem to notice when his glasses slipped off and shattered on the ground, revealing tear streaked eyes.

Only Naruto had his same triumphant bound, and though no one admitted it, this kept them going.

"Neji…. " everyone stared at Shino, he wasn't one to talk so on the rare occurrences of speech everyone would listen in hopes a secret ode would come out of his mouth, or some word of wisdom that would make everything right.

"You were alright when Hinata left… not thrilled of course… but what made you like this."

There was a crash, Neji had tripped at the words and was now lying in the brush pf a lower branch. Embarrased at the weakness, he quickly got up and ran ahead, avoiding the question.

"Neji…" The voice came again, as the footfalls stopped. No one was letting anyone go until the truth was unclovered.

Neji looked up, his eyes blurring with that red tinge.

"It's…"

"HANABI!" Hinata shirked as she woke with a start. After a few frozen seconds, her hair fluttered to her side and the scratchy bed sheets coiled once more around her body.

"Guh, shut up." Karin answered, but the two now romates had woken up for the day, and intrigued Karin broke the tension by asking a little calmer. "Who's Hanabi…?"

"My… sister." Hinata didn't want Karin to talk to her. The girl was scary-powerful, She felt like a small hut next to an imperial tower whenever anyone saw them in the same room.

Despite this, Hinata was continuously becoming more and more open. Her training with sasuke had gotten to the point where she knew she was at least as good as Ino, and possibly better than Kiba and Shino. They had moved to sparring now and though she always lost, she almost never got hit… until the sharingan. He could predict her dodges then, and quickly she would be beaten. She felt her hands tingle with warmth and confidence to know that Sasuke had to now put in effort to beat her. Barley ant effort, but still effort.

The place was also giving her more awareness. She could now brush off Kabuto's harsh words without letting him know how much it hurt her. She wished her family could see her now… now that she…

"Hello!?" Karin said, waving her hand in Hinata's face. She jerked back as reality shoved her accomplishments away.

"Huh?"

"Your clothes…" Karin pointed… was she attempting to be friends? Didn't seem like friendship was her thing, but who was she to judge. A groan resounded as Hinata looked at her jacket, pants… everything. They had been torn to shreds in the night. Hinata sank back down into her sheets.

_How would she deal with this?_

It didn't look as if Karin had done it… her face was too… well… Hinata could just tell.

Glasses gleamed from the crack in the doorframe.

"Sasuke want you… Hinata-chan." Kabuto moved away, and for the first time in her life, Hinata swore.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed, she had been there three months, and he had always been there to torment her. Realizing what she had just said, Hinata went bright red and sank down into the sheets of her. He had done it. She saw… she saw?

Yes… she had seen with her eyes, she reached up and felt her face… thin likes of chakra had arched in different patterns across her face, she looked at a shocked Karin again and said;

"So… why are you so interested in my sister?"

Son of a bitch? Wow… didn't know she had it in her. Poor skank's going to freak out if she ever gets home. No one will ever see her the same… her poor sister too.

"Oh, no reason." There. Hinata had seen it, and the weird look she got from her roommate told Hinata she should stop staring. She knew at once that Karin was lying. She didn't know how, she couldn't understand how her Byakugan was activated, but she knew for sure she had unlocked something no one had unlocked before.

"Here…" Karin said. "You can borrow some of my clothes." Hinata seriously doubted this would work, and after 10 minutes of "Too small" and "God your chest is huge…" Hinata found herself in an outfit faint-worthy of her twelve-year-old self. She felt as if people could see through her with an outfit this skanky.

"By the way, your eyes look different today." Hinata tilted her head to the side, feeling as if this girl was going to be her first true friend. "The have a kind of blue-ish tint behind the iris…"

"Really?" Suddenly Kabuto slammed open the door, and grabbed Hinata by the shoulder, dragging her out the door and before she could react, was given a smack across the face.

"Don't ever be late again. You are a hostage, you are a possession of Orochimaru." Hinata flinched, and all the confidence in the world wouldn't have held her through that. She bent a little, her head drooping and her hair brushing her fingertips as she covered her face in shame.

"Kabuto-san…" Now he was the one to get a smack in the face as Uchiha Sasuke himself came down the hall, eyeing the jacket hinata was wearing and blinking at how even Karin's largest outfit couldn't quite fit her in the chest.

"Shove off." He didn't even think of the fact that he thought of her as a possession as well. Right now she was his student, late, harassed and through all that weakness and all that shame she still had potential.

Hinata looked up as a door was quickly shoved in her face. "Sasuke-kun!" Karin clung to him and Hinata felt a pang in her heart. It shuddered throughout her whole body and once again she saw Karin with intentions she never had shown in the room before. All she saw in Sasuke was simple detestation for being touched, but not enough care to shove her off.

She saw emotions she had worked so hard to study him for in an instant, and she realized her Byakugan had tuned on again with the same mysterious power.

"Hinata-chan, your late." Hinata followed silently behind the nonstop chatter of Karin and the ever present "hn." Of Sasuke. Thoughts of her sister churned in her head, and spasm of anger for Karin over took her heart for several seconds before receding like the tide.

Over the course of a couple hours Hinata had learned three things;

1.The byakugan could not only see through objects physically, it could also see through people mentally.

2. Her new'friend' was never her friend if anyone else was around

And last but not least

3. Hinata was in love with Sasuke Uchiha

((Okay, boring chapter I know, and I bet most of you are wishing for a dramatic realization of love from Hinata, but she doesn't seem like that kind of person. Sasuke seems more like the dramatic love type, and Hinata just realizes it through actions.

The byakugan idea is that hinata can now see the basic thoughts and emotions in people with her eyes. This happens when she thinks of who she loves, or something around the subject without being insecure, but soimpley herself. Soome relaxed transic state or whatever.

Any-hoo the next chapter or the chapter after that should be about the 1/3 way point through the plot, and a mini climax, so I needed a semi-easy going chapter. It's badly written buy that's because…. Well… I don't know.

Reviews love))


	9. Rebellious thoughts and words of love

"Neji

Hinata woke up with rebellion crashing into her head, it swirled into her brain, and stung every corner of the room with the desire to prove something. Her eyes had indeed gotten bluer…. They reminded her of Naruto.

"Oi, Hina-chan" Karin said, her eyes flitting about the room.

"You sleep okay?"

"Just fine Karin-senpai."

"What did I say earlier, chan!" Karin was smiling, but Hinata frowned, and got dressed, sighing at her inheritied outfit.

"But then as soon as I ca;;ed you that Sasuke-kun walked by and you said 'that's SENPAI to you."

Karin completely ignored the statement with a "Say, Hina-chan, you have to say at least this is more interesting."

"Eh?"

"You wake me up with cries for your friends and Kohona, but isn't this more interesting? You've got to like something here. You fit in here." Hinata shuddered, and her hands ran through her matted hair.

"I don't!" She protested through finger combs. She was tensing up, her melody of rebellion pulsing. She needed to do something…. She had this pent up feeling inside, she was unsure of the emotion, but surely there was a lot of it.

"Don't lie." Karin said and brushed her roommates shoulder, watching with a chuckle as she further froze. No matter how drastic the 4 month personality switch had been, this girl was still internally shy as a rabbit.

"We have the total hottie, the pushy nerd, the loud girl and the quiet girl. It's a perfect set of misfits. You may try to hide it, but you are part of us now. You've become a subordinate. You have become your enemy." This thought made Hinata's mind drift to Sasuke, her fingers slowly lifting from her hair to her cheeks, and then her mind drifted to the forbidden door.

The emotion hit her, it was rebllion and Curiosity. She had to see who, and what lay behind that door. Her fingers twiddled for a few seconds of silence. Karin sighed in exasparation before slapping her 'friend' on the back and leaving.

The slap had caused Hinata's legs to quake with the brute strength, and she cursed herself for not being stronger.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Twisting madly in the wind, she whirled towards the ground, landing gracefully, and avoiding attacks from her onyx-eyed opponent. The crater was filled with dust and it clogged her senses with confusion as suddenly she was struck down. Red eyes glowed from above and Hinata already knew she had lost, but she attempted doge one last time, almost twisting out of his grip-…. But no avail, she was held against him again, Kunai to her throat and Sapphire shackle re-attached to her hand.

Somehow she didn't mind when Sasuke did the same thing as Kabuto… perhaps because as soon as she surrendered he would let her go, silently and politely.

Hinata now realized there were many many many more kinds of 'hn' than she had originally thought.

'Hn' meant 'thanks'

'Hn' meant 'good job, but you still have a long ways to go'

'Hn' (Usually reserved for Kabuto) meant 'I'm so much cooler than you'

'Hn' meant 'Strange… how did that happen?'

'Hn' was also a battle cry.

'Hn' also meant 'I'm thinking of my brother, leave me alone.'

'Hn' (usually meant for Karin) Meant 'Please get off me'

'Hn' (Retired, usually reserved for Sakura and Ino) meant 'Get off me now.'

'Hn' meant 'Yes, but I don't find enough worth in saying yes to use three letters.'

'Hn' was the strangest. It was reserved for her, and it was at best an 'anti-Sasuke' 'hn'. It was said hand over mouth and bangs over eyes. It looked sad at first, and yet it looked as if he were about to laugh. She needed to make a dictionary of Sasuke hns… they were multiplying every moment into another language.

"Hinata-chan" he said slowly. "You didn't surrender yet…" He pressed the knife slightly closer.

"I was just thinking is all…." She was sweating like crazy, partly because she had been working in the hot sun, and partly because Sasuke's outfit had almost swallowed her so that she was inside his shirt in a way, This was coma-worthy of her previous self, but she felt faint even now. Finally she she couldn't take it, and a small "un…" resounded from her throat as she collapsed.

"I'll take that as a surrender." Sasuke simply picked up the limp body, and flung it over his shoulder. She was pleasantly heavy, now in an overweight way, but in a reassuring way. He shook his head, and clanked at her hair, now falling over her closed eyes and onto his shoulder. _She's changed… so quickly. _ He couldn't help it. This girl was different from the rest. Her quiet knowing accented everything he did. Suddenly he felt weak, and he let Hinata down before his eyes blazed with a bright red, brighter than any sharingan eye before. He saw his face reflected in clouds of dust, and then the room, the forbidden door. He slumped over, and laid beside Hinata, feeling weak in his head as the bright red faded to black.

What the hell was that?

He smacked the ground, and raised his hand as if to attack Hinata. He wanted to kill something, he wanted blood to drip into the dirty ground. He wanted to hear screaming… he wanted to be his brother.

Slowly retreating inside himself, Sasuke lay with the dust settling onto his face and clothing. The sun was shining piercingly clear, though the great walls of the crater stretched to almost touch it, they could not reach. Now Sasuke felt like crying, but he never would.

Glancing towards Hinata, he realized her eyes were open… but she was not awake. They were slightly blue-ish… something strange was happening to both of them. A cloud slowly swirled in, and the sun tried it's hardest to fight through and sting the eyes of it's watcher below… the cloud was too strong and Sasuke's face was covered in a line of shade.

"Hinata-chan… what is love to you?… do you think that someone who has shut himself off to all who offer kindness could feel such an emotion? Could…. Could someone like me love. Could someone like you hate? Hinata… are we becoming each other? Slowly…" Words were spilling out of his mouth, and hanging in the air, never to settle, but to cloud the sun and cloud his senses. He needed this out, and it was all the better no one cloud hear.

"I feel your kindness, I feel your quiet separation, your shy sadness, and it enters me, nothing can stop it, it melts every barrier. You yourself are becoming stronger, I barley ever see that shy creature from long ago. One day might we be the same?

You are from love, and I only from hate… but together we are human."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hinata woke with a start, her head filled with words she had never heard. A familiar voice had said them… not Naruto… his voice was distant and beautiful, like the moon.

The door. She quickly sat up, Karin was asleep, homemade earplugs in her ears so Hinata's cries for home would not disturb her sleep. Slowly slipping out of her bed she slashed another mark on the wall, and slipped out the door.

Clink. She was attacked to it… the doorknob had a silver blue link of chakra tying her to her room.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sasuke-san." Kabuto said through closed eyes.

"Hn."

"You do realize that girl won't last right?"

"Hn."

"No matter what you do, she will try to escape eventually, and the Orochimaru will kill her."

"No."

"What?"

"Hinata-chan won't leave."

"Hn." It was Kabuto now using the famous catch-phrase.

"She can't. She won't."

"You sound like a dumb kid. I thought we blasted that out of you. Go find a corner and cut yourself. You can't be a human and call yourself strong."

Sasuke pushed himself up, and opened the door with a fierce red glare.

"Hey, I wasn't serious…"

Too late, the boy had left.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Clunk

With a kunai Hinata had officially freed herself from her room. Not from the shackly, but the room.

_Clink __**Clunk**_

The doorknob thunked inside her pocket, but she ignored it. She had to get there, the door in the shadows….

The walls traced on forever, curving contrast and torch-lit walls all of the sudden ended as she made the wrong turn and became face to face with the characters that spelled 'forbidden'.

Strangley there was no seal on it… it was just locked, and using the same blunt kunai, she cut away the wood and winced as it hit the ground, echoing slowly into oblivion.

"Ah!" she whispered, her small hands flitting to the doorknob.

Clink

It opened and Hinata uttered a scream of horror, her face contorting in the dark light. Her kunai clattered to the floor, and body became numb. She was face to face with Sharigan

.

((Ooh badly written and a cliff-hanger! What's an aspiring writer to do? Anyways, Next chapter basically marks one third of the way though this fanfic. If you want to humour me, I will give you a hint as to what is going to happen and you can guess in a review

(Many thanks to those who review every chapter, you make my day)

Now Sasuke and Hinata are tranforming into their traditional Sasuhina OOC selves, but at least it took them 9 chapters! Sorry, but my first fanfic had to have a little of that. The angst will return in the next chapter or two. ALSO, HAPPY NATIONAL ALTERNITIVE RECORD STORE DAY!!

Your hint is:

Currently there are two pairs of Sharingan eyes and two pairs of byakugan eyes in the interior lair.

One of those wilders is dead.

Also I plead you review my other story 'Dear Friend' if you don't mind AU and a little less organized format. ))


	10. The Never Ending Night Part 1

"Neji

((Hey guys! Guess you haven't heard from me in a while… well, I was totally freaking out about having to write a mini-climax and what if I couldn't do it justice… Then my good friend Flaming goddess went and wrote her second chapter (and she takes FOREVER!!) to through the wounds and I thought 'I need to get that chapter done soon or… something bad will happen!

But I couldn't do it alone…so I went and read so much bad Naruhina that I couldn't stand it. A special thank you to all those really awful Naruhina oneshots that are scattered throughout the expansive servers of fanfiction. (Though I did have to search kinda hard because Naruhina's drafted some very good writers…) you inspired me to say 'I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! And want to bash open my head. (Except one or two which I might have to keep reading **sweatdrop**)

Also very sorry if Karin is out of character, I don't read much manga (hence why the rest of the snake is missing…) of Naruto so I don't even know if her head is…red…or black. I'm going with red right now though.

Forever avoiding the inevitable,

Sky))

"Oh my god…" She fell back, for these pale red eyes were inhuman, they were pupilesss and ghostly, and she could not speak, except to utter the words

"Oh my god…" She was shaking all over, but she slowly came to her senses and stood up. Though the sight was truly disturbing, the paranoia of the night had whisked her away.

"Itachi-san…" she whispered. Her hand now pressed against the glass… for there, in what some strange stand in a jar were a pair of bloody red and lifeless eyes. The blood was dry and crumbling off the sides of where two needles pinned them to the side of the jar. They were obviously taken long ago…and if you could look closely in the eerie illumination of the night, you could see faint traces of the mangekyou sharingan. She shivered and quickly removed her hand… she could not remove her eyes from the stare though, and she was transfixed by the imprisoned eyes of Sasuke's long-lost brother.

In a way… she realized, Sasuke was just like Naruto. His rival, in a way his friend, had beat him at everything and then fled.

_In a way… it's sort of like me and Neji…_ she shook her head, for Neji would never do something so horrible as to kill Hiashi and the clan, or to run cowardly to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru… she had heard of his madman experiments, but never had she ever seen (or wanted to see) them in person. Now, in the face of a tormented faded memory, Hinata could not look away from blank stare. Now the only thought in her head was

_Where is the rest?_ The eyes were a blank red, no pupils… no black traces, just red. Almost as if some one had peeled them of and stuck them on something else. She began to sweat in paranoia, for what would happen-

"If someone were to find out you were here, I assure you the outcome would bring you pain."

For a moment Hinata believed it was Itachi speaking, but as she slowly shattered the eye contacr, and turned her shaking head, she realized she was in a much worse situation than expected.

"O-orochimaru-s-sama" She had stuttered, she would have chastised herself for the old habit, but she was too frozen in feer. The moonlight trickled in through the door, glinting on his wicked grin.

"Hinata-san…I hope you are well." He glanced for the shackle, and seeing the shape of the doorknob in her clothing a cackle of laughter shook his throat with malice.

She was terrified. Terrified, but not dumbfounded, no that was old Hinata. Quickly, she lurched for her kunai she had dropped at the sight of the eyes… the eyes…

"Quite useful those were." He had read her thoughts… crossing into the room he took no notice of her weapon as a hawk would of a slightly pointed blade of grass. All that mattered was the the sqealing mouse trapped in his claw.

Hinata didn't move. She was not sorry to have come, ad did not want ton apologise for the sake of her village. Yet, she was ever fearful. Though her heart had begant to sew itself together since it's great shatter so long ago, she still could not help but think of the pain whenever she saw Orochimaru. Six months was it? She had lost count. Perhaps the scratches by her bed knew.

She had thought too long, and her Kunai had disappeared from her hand and now was being held lazily at her throat. Those grinning eyes and twisted mouth were now locked on her. In the liquid moonlight he looked like a madman, like the face of a dead forest, the loping vines and dead leaves falling over knarled features. He didn't look like himself… perhaps neither did she.

"Itachi came to me willingly… so long ago, he was younger than Sasuke."

"T-that's not true." Damn, why did she stutter? She gasped slightly at his widening grin and the Kunai pricked her neck slightly, a tiny dot of red appearing at the base.

"Y-you're lying. He almost killed you…then j-j-oined the-"

"Oh… no, that wasn't Itachi. Itachi Uchiha's eyes were in this jar by the age of fourteen."

Hinata flinched, back this time, but remained silent.

"At the first mention of power he came to me. I attempted training him, but he was too confident. That's the thing about geniuses, you can't teach them anything. So… despite the bloodline I wanted so much… I killed him."

Killed him? How long has he been dead? Sasuke… what about him… Sasuke Uchiha is living a lie!

"The Itachi you have heard of… was not Itachi at all. It was a clone, a fair fraction of my power, and it was me… who killed Sasuke's family. It was in doing this I gained a full mangekyou, and a new, better potential body."

In an instant, the small seeds of slight respect for Orichimaru Hinata owned were boiled away by hatred.

"Why… how… HOW D-DARE YOU KILL ALL THOSE PEOPLE! YOU-" She was not herself anymore, the moonlight had twisrted her. She woulkd kill him, she would kill him now. She knocked the kunai away and lunged.

"Do you really think a weakling can beat me? You may have improved, but not THAT much my dear." He was right… His smirk sickened her.

"T-" She was interrupted again, for a dark howl pierced the night. It was fiendishly familiar… human?

"Kiba…" She whispered… Orochimaru used this whisper of absent mindness to pin the heiress against the wall.

"Sasuke will find his brother is dead, and then he will be weak… that is when his soul will die, and mine will live."

"I WILL TELL HIM! I'LL TELL HIM EVERYTHING! TOGETHER WE WILL DESTROY YOUR DISGUSTING PLOTS FOREVER! TOGETHER WE-" Her mouth was covered sharply. The thought of Sasuke's ignorance fading was actually a threat…. Good. He didn't have anything on her except her life, which was for some reason he still needed.

How very wrong she was.

Nevertheless, she was not quieted, and the moonbeans rebounded off her furious eyes as she bit his clammy hand until it bled,

"You may not wish to do that Hinata-san." Orochimaru was not phased, or if he was, he did not show it.

Hinata hissed, but then stopped, dumbfounded for the second time as Orochimaru opened yet another door.

Hinata froze. Her eyes glased over with a tremor of horror. Everything inside her, all the strength inside her wilted away. She sank to the floor. The body was mangled, crouched in a

Twisted way that seemed inhman. The howl resounded once more… Kiba was coming…

All thoughts in Hinata's head were faint. Just as her confidence began to emerge, and her heart began to mend, it was shattered again. This creature was worse than anything, the most terrifying thing that Hinata had ever witnessed.

"If you swear to silence… I will give you back your sister."

((This is part one you guys, part two will be up soon (As in probably by the end of the week. It'll be longer. I usually wait until "I have like five reviews before updating, so you could speed things up if you felt nice. I'm sorry it's kinda badly written, but I totally blew out all my pent up artsyness stuff on a canvas a couple days ago and it needs to build up again.))


	11. The Never Ending Night Part 2

"Neji

((Oh, and I have to say thanks to all the people who reviewed people I can call off the top of my head are once again animeprincess619…uh notintoit some string of numbers? Lovecarriermyentireworld heartbrokenhinata… daydream14… ginse-se-se…su? (Why do you have to be so hard to remember?) there are more thanks to give but my internet is currently acting up in a stupid way so gomen if I didn't put you

Also, guess what? Since I really can't write as much of this at one time as I thought, this climax/arc thing gets to be another chapter after this... HURRAH!

Overestimates herself

Sky))

"Hanabi…" Hinata spoke now her voice perfectly still in the night. Her sister's eyes opened, glazed and demonic for there implanted were the black peelings of Itachi's sharingan. Her sister simply stared without speaking, her body cold in her sisters hands.

"H-hanabi…" The girl didn't move, except for a shake of the hair and the slight tilt of a finger. Her legs were bending in a contorted strange sickening way and Hinata felt like crying.

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW COULD YOU EVER DO THIS? YOU…You…" She sunk to the ground, her sister in her arms.

"HANABI WAKE UP!" there was a moan of pain from her sister's throat, as the growl welled up in the twisted experiment which was is her sister, tears welled up in Hinata's eyes and she could not hold them in. She bawled into her sister, trying to shake away the shock with her sobs.

It was all in one horrific second in which his creature moved. To any it would be a monster, a beast in the streets lurking closer, but to Hinata, it was her beloved sister, her beloved perfect little sister, now slumped onto Hinata in a cheap imitation of a hug.

Yet as she could not hate Neji and her father… Hinata could not hate this place, this lair of the enemy she was bound to, this hell encrusted place of torment had hurt her so much…. Yet she could not bring herself to leave.

"You can go, just try and escape…" Orochimaru said.

"But leave Sasuke, and he suffers the fate of both this body…" he glanced down.

"Itachi…" He smirked as her eyes flitted to where the eyes had been. They were now stored among the books.

"And…" His Eyes stabbed into hers like daggers

"Your sister."

Hinata hugged her corpsic sister to her breast.

"If you find a guard who will take her… she could still be a great ninja. If you can get her medical help. If you can't… she will die. Take her, and leave before you suffer worse." Hinata felt the impact of what was going on hit her, and she was forced into a state of trance. She ignored the sickly state of her sister and said slowly, her eyes seemingly broken.

"I understand." _But my sister is not the only thing I will take…_

slowly staggered to her feet. She was still a ninja after all, and one day she would destroy the man who had caused her sister and Sasuke, as well as so many others so much pain. Another howl resounded so loudly Orochimaru himself took his snake slitted eyes of the heiress for a split second which she spent quickly whisking a large scroll off the shelves and tucking it into her pocket. It was a miracle he didn't notice, and she clasped her sister to her before running out the door.

_Clink __**Clunk**_

Hinata was beyond emotion, walking silently throughout the halls. _I didn't even know of any gaurds… how could Naruto Sakura and I possibly have gotten through?_

Her thoughts were soley for pragmatic purposes. She had used up all the human in her, it was put away, for fear of being torn to shreds. Slowly, as if she was wearing leadweighted shoes, Hinata trudged forward, her sister groaning madly, yet as she reached the door-knob-less door which housed a mumbling Karin, Hanabi spoke, not words of nonsense, but real words, and the human in Hinata unfolded itself from hiding and blanketed her in pride.

"Sister…sister… a… a few weeks ago…" She was shaking madly, her hair falling about her twisted eyes and her legs rigid.

"I became a chunin." The lopsided smile was enough to melt a heart and shatter a soul.

"Hanabi…" Hinata hugged her half-lived sister close "I love so much… no matter what." And with that she entered her room, to pack her things. Hinata Hyyuga was leaving with her sister, no matter what.

"But 'no matter whats' are never about the mattering whats Hina-chan." Came a whisper.

Orochimaru grinned in surprise as for the second time that night the forbidden door was opened, this time smashed down by a raven-haired demon fiery with passion, something not seen in him for almost two years. He would have to pay for being so reckless, and his master had forced him into a helpless position. Sasuke would not have been duped by such a simple move had it not been for the secrets of the night which left its wanderers unaware and forever ignorant of one another.

Hinata did not notice the flicker of hand motions no one saw Orochimaru make as she screamed her curses to deaf ears.

Orochimaru did not notice the scroll taken from his shelf.

Kabuto didn't notice anything, he was asleep.

Lastly, Sasuke did not notice Hinata and she did not notice him as they walked right past each other in parallel worlds. Wasn't that how it always was? If they could just turn their heads, just break out of their caging pasts to lock eyes… yin and yang, then perhaps the keys to the future could be found. (Author note: Hint hint Kishimoto…)

"What is it you want…Sasuke?" His voice was drizzled in honey but anyone could hear the daggers at the ready behind the sweet façade.

"I want…let…" He struggled against the grip, humiliated at his easy defeat. "I want you to Hinata Hyyuga go!" His words were clumsy, for kindness and passion did not exist for such a person. He could not be human. He could not learn love again. He could never turn his head and let black meet white.

"But that's not what you really want Sasuke…" Orochumaru's spare hand drummed on the wooden wall.

"Its what you think is right, and nothing right happens here."

The Uchiha snarled, his eyes reddening as his struggling became more frantic.

"Just…LET HER GO!"

"Ugh… with all the screaming Sasuke… you should know that if I thought it was in my best interests I'd let you have your way as always. However, I can most defiantly not allow Hinata to leave."

"Why?!" Sasuke sounded as if he was a small child, finding out once again his brother had won, or that the dog in the alleyway he had given food to once was lying so still in the rain…

"You seem to be quite attached to her." He waited for the withdrawal, for Sasuke to choose pride over rebellion. Strangley it didn't come.

"I…am." Sasuke said very slowly. "I… want what's best for her. She is…" _a memory… a living memory I want to live to the fullest…_

"Let's just put it this way…" Orochimaru released Sasuke and began to trace the infinite shelves with a gaunt moonlit hand.

"Research on bloodline limits has led me to find that there are multiple fields of emotion linked to the extensions it posses, as well as interlinking fields of extensions connected to specific emotions which are unused by the owner of the bloodline limit. In other words, there is another side of the Sharingan and another side of the Byakugan, both have been lost and atrophied over the years, overwhelmed by the other field. One is unlocked by breaking bonds, another by strengthening them. Love and hate to be clear. Both clans have lost sight of these hidden aspects and how to activate them, and their powers remain unknown. "

Sasuke listened quietly, and Orochimaru paused for a moment, his bow furrowing. _The scroll… where is the scroll…_

"You have achived up to the second highest degree of one field, the highest being the mangekyou sharingan. Yet… you have seen some parts of other things. In isolation and deprivation, one bond strengthening to you is magnified, and you have already experienced the very beginnings of the new field. Face it Sasuke… you are falling in love with Hinata Hyyuga, and this makes everything fall into place, love has a nice way of working out yes?"

**No.** Sasuke shook his head. **No.** He could not love, he could not love, he could not let something so easily broken become so important. She was just a memory. Just a memory, a possession to him.

_I love you…Hinata…_ it sounded so nice, but the thoughts were not meant for his heart.

Hinata dared not turn around. "Karin…?" There was no answer

"K-karin??" Her sister imitated, but Hinata quickly put a hand over her mouth.

No answer. So Hinata slowly turned, and for the second time that night screamed. Karin was in dead stare, her messy red hair falling over her face, and dark rings carved into her face. A knarled finger was raised, poiting at Hinata as if she were some animal, some accursed beast.

Hinata quickly set her sister down, and looking into the dead stare, waved her hand after a moments pause. The lack of response and a slight tilt of the head revealed the sleeping plugs in Karin's ears and the fact that the girl was indeed asleep. Hinata tried to move away from the stare, but the bewitched night had worked it's magic and Karin stood up, her eyes and hand following Hinata with their eerie silence.

"Hanabi… we have to go. We have to get out of here. We have to get away from here. We'll never come back, we'll-"

Hinata jumped once again as the room was filled this time with eerie laughter, the laughter which rings in your ears and echos inside your mind, cluttering your thoughts with fear.

Karin's mouth was as wide as her dying eyes,

"Ha…it's too late now-haha…" The laughter was intermittent and sparratic, "Too late for you Hina-chan ha…ha…hahaha."

"I don't know what you mean… stop it…." Hinata had forgotten thegirl was asleep.

"Too long…ha… too long to leave... you missed your chance, now your heart is clenched with iron and punctured with a rose… now ha…haha… you can never leave. You will never leave here ha HA!" And she dissolved into psychotic fits of laughter, leaving Hinata seemingly alone.

_**No… you're wrong… I know it!…do I?**_ Thoughts were a swirling sea as she tried to focus on gathering her few belongings.

Sasuke was silent as Orochimaru's hands continued to flit about the many scrolls and books in the shelves, for a second it looked as if there was a jar with something red contained within, but it was shoved away.

"And as these days continue you are training the weakness out of Hinata. Your bond strengthens and you both fully unlock one field of your bloodlines. This is when your end of the deal will come in…" **No…NO!** Sasuke shook his head, why was he being told this? And why, why why did revenge come at such a steep price.

"I will take your body after you kill your brother. I will betray Hinata, as you, which will be enough for her kind nature to sink to hell and the byakugan she has originally known will magnify. Then I will use her to breed my next body which will have all four fields of vision." Sasuke stood up, fear in his eyes, for himself, for Hinata and for the nonexistent child. He could see the nightmare replay in his mind and he smashed a fish against the wall.

"I'll tell her." His face darkened, "And she will never love me back. I will never love her, your plan will shatter."

"Ah but you can't avoid it, she is everywhere, and so are you. You cannot prevent events already set in motion… and." The Sannin laughed before retreating to the shadows

"If you tell her… it will trigger a seal which has been put on her by me, it will spread in the form of the chakra shackle I have now locked entirely to her arm and reach her head where it will activate every curse seal on every branch member of the Hyyuga clan. However this curse seal will now spread like a virus and anyone who comes into contact with any branc member, dead or alive will eventually die in the same fashion. Lastly, after this plague has spread, Hinata will die,"

"THEN DO IT!" Sasuke felt stupid, everything was laid out perfectly, he had lost.

"JUST KILL THEM ALL!"

"I would rather not… for their clan has a secret I have yet to unlock. I am just here to let you know your fate."

Sasuke spat on the floor, and in the gloom of the never ending night screamed in anguish

"THEN I'LL KILL YOU!" He lunge forward, now mad with anger and pain.

His hands closed on air. A shadow clone. A shadow clone had restrained him. Slowly, sasuke made his way out of the forbidden door… and into the hall. Shaking with fear and rage Sasuke Uchiha began to cry. The sobs vanished in the never ending night.

((Okay I understand I can't word what happened right there very well, so please bear with me! I'm very sorry. So there are lost powers of the Byakugan and Sharingan that can be unlocked by love and these arts have been lost to both clans mostly due to the hate and formality that must be kept inside, as well as the arranged marriges. Since relationships with real bonds are uncommon, when they are made in this situation the power of them is a lot stronger than it would be normally. With a combination of Hinata's newer strength and her slowly developing love for Sasuke she can now tell if people are lying by looking at them. Sasuke is very slightly starting to experience similar experiences of new power. Orochimaru plans to have them fall in love unlocking that half of the bloodline limit's power, and then have Sasuke kill his brother. Than he will posses Sasuke and break down hinata as the one she loves, causing her to unlock the hate-driven side of her powers. Then, with both sides completely developed on both sets of eyes, he will breed him a sharingan and Byakugan hybrid as his new body.

So yeah… please bear with the awkwardness of the chapter))


	12. The Never Ending Night Part 3

"Neji

((ho hoo, I just got back from the death note movie… ha… HY my god it was funny. Funny as in so much of it was really bad. They totally butchered the whole Misora ordeal…. Parts of it were supposed to be dramatic but just ended up hilarious. At the end… Danny California played… and I was just like 'what?' what on earth do the red hot chili peppers and death note have in common? Well took me a while to update… so be happy I did at all, also I hope you know I'll basically be gone all summer long. Yeah, and with no computer at all. That means no updating so I'm very sorry. Hopefully I'll have finished dear friend by then, and only have this fanfiction to put on Hiatus.

In the movie… Ryuks skin is really slimey…

Sky

P.S. This chapter marks the half way point towards the end of this fanfiction, so…nyah!!))

Moonlight streamed from the sliver-cracks in the walls, dripping the floor with stains of silver. Hinata was cold, tired and walking solely on will and instinct. Horrors whispered on the edge of her mind, but she did her best to fend them off. She could dwell on the truth once her sister was safe. She couldn't even feel, not emotionally, not physically. She saw the ripped seams on Karins clothing, an hour ago she would have cared, she would have felt exposed and frightened, as well as ashamed of her shy nature. Now… all she could do was stare ahead as the smudges of moonlight slowly rippled over her body. She didn't even know what way was which in the darkened corridors. She just needed to make her sister better. If Hinata could feel, she would have felt the heartbeat of her sister growing fainter… then stronger. If hinata could hear something other than the ringing in her hears… she would have heard the sound of her sister smiling in the dark. She was still a child, the Hyyuga prodigy, the Orochimaru lab rat, the great Hanabi Hyyuga… was just a child. Children, despite all the horrible things around them, despite the pain they might feel, or the things that may frighten them no matter how hard they try to be brave, despite every evil thing… will smile when they see that someone loves them.

It was in this state of silent tremors that Hinata felt herself lessen slightly… she began to see things as she left. She saw herself, walking with sasuke in silence, herself, slowly straightening her posture overtime, even scowling at Kabuto after much gathering of courage. She saw Karin hugging her to the point of exhaustion, and the four of them laughing. Kabuto in his jerky kiss-ass tone, Karin loud and girly, her quite softly and sounding more like a cough… and even Sauske, of course, his laugh was the 'hn' that meant "that's funny" but it was appreciated anyway. She was appreciated anyway. Here, in these hallways of the enemy, she had become of the slivers of moonlight. Of the clanking sapphire chain, of the tracing barbaric patterns. Of Kabuto's glasses, of Karins obnoxious snoring… she was something here… Her depaurture from Kohona was so unexpected that she didn't think of what she was there. What was she there? Living in her little sister's shadow… the one who would faint at the mention of anything with the word "Naruto" in it… someone who watched others be something.

Her thoughts stopped when she saw what lay ahead of her. It was not the sudden lack of moonlit cracks that bothered her. It was not the fact that the torch in the wall seemed to glow blue instead of red… it was a boy… sobbing in the half-light. The blue-amber waves echoed off him and sparked across his shadows, flickering incessantly on his pale skin. His eyes were red, and yet he saw right through her. His chest was bare and hunched, the muscles looking almost inhumanly perfect. Perfectly twisted, for he was sobbing.

"B-brother…" He choked, almost frantically, feeling along the icy blue walls for some surface to cling to.

"Why… why did you do this to me? To us?… Now look what will happen! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME BROTHER!!" He sank to the floor, clutching, clinging to his own skin.

"S-…" She almost whispered his name, she almost raised her hand , she almost left everything. She almost forgot everything she knew to run to him. To comfort him, the way he said brother the exact way she spoke the word "mother." With a mixture of deep sadness, hidden stoic anger and a flicker of happiness. She looked down at her sister's messy hair, her half-lidded eyes, and to the struggling Uchiha.

Sasuke… what makes a human? Is it bravery… is it cowardice?… is it the sensation our hearts feel when we know we are doing something right or wrong?… is ir only skin-deep?… is it greed, the pleasure we take from other's company? Or is it the resolution to fight for anything you believe is right, internally or externally?… What makes a human Sasuke? Am I too weak, to kind to be considered one? Are you too foul, too twisted to be such a creature?… what… what do I do?

She felt her hands slipping… she felt her foot move, she began to open her mouth, to make him see her…

"Hinata…" her sister spoke deathly quiet… but Hinata heard. She always heard. "A…another day…Sasuke-kun."

And with that she turned, walking the other way, helping along her sister and leaving a piece of her bruised heart behind.

The night fell on her shoulders as Hinata found an ever-familiar tunnel. It was one shattered by a rabid Kohona ninja with pinkhair… how long ago was it? So very long ago. The scratches on her wall had smudged away, she had been here forever, and the old hinata had stood here once, too shy to speak, to fight.

It was strangley white outside, and dusty footprints were illuminated on the spiraling floor patterns.

"Look… Hanabi… look that's where they left me." She pointed at the edge of the crater.

"That's where they didn't care enough about me to take me back. Look, that's where I became this. Look… there is where he stood…" She pointed and her sister nodded silently, her head rolling to the side.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"There she is!" Naruto whispered

"Shh…" Said Kiba, but Hinata obviously wouldn't be able to…

She had heard them…

"Hinata…she's… okay…" Neji was smiling, weakly, his shoulders hung in blissful disbelief.

"What is that… she has?" Shino tilted his head, and right now he knew Hinata could hear something. She clutched the figure closer to her… and then, raising one hand, brushed away her lengthy hair and gave a call that resembled an owl.

Kiba responded immediately with another howl. Of all things, next Shino took out too small stones and rubbed them together creating a noise sounding sort of like crickets.

Hinata paused, her body stiffening.

"What was that?!" Naruto was a little too loud, she stiffened further almost afraid, but the way she held her body was different, more open… and Kiba's eyes widened _what was she wearing…? _Neji stiffened and narrowed his eyes as he realized the same thing.

"Naruto… it was a team thing, we picked animal sounds to use as a way to call each other."

"Let's go!" Naruto spoke, shaking the branch

"Wait… we should check for gaur-"

But Neji was gone… so was Shino. Kiba sighed, and shoved himself off the branch.

"…Neji… Neji?" Hinata blinked her eyes as in a split second her cousin appeared right in front of her, eyes brimming with melancholy happiness. His shoulders were huched and one hand was behind his head.

"Hinata…" he paused… "Your clothes…" and of all things… Hinata laughed, her eyes rining with confidence and her stuttering had completely left.

Wh… what… who…" he paused as he finally saw what Hinata held in her arms.

"Hanabi." Hinata said silently, her eyes disappearing slightly in weeping gagged by the need to never be week. Shino slowly walked forward as both Hyyugas tried not to cry in front of each other.

"She can still be alive… Sharingan… Orochimaru-sama forced a hybrid in his experiments… and used her. The… results didn't please him enough. He said… she could still be an amazing ninja… but she can't if she isn't brought to safety soon." Neji quickly came forward and took Hanabi out of Hinata's shaking hands.

A moment passed in silence… then, the shaking seemed to create a slight tremor slowly quaking through Hinata's arms and her whole body, as if it could shake off the emotions and all the things she wanted to say. Now shyness was not the barrier, it was pride, pride at showing how far she had come. All she could do was hope her emotions would not come through in tears.

"Hinata." Shino came forward stoic-ly, arms outstretched almost mechanically, and yanked the struggling heiress into a large tight awkward hug.

"We missed you." And Hinata smiled, as little sparkles of tears dotted her eyes, as tears dotted the sky. Kiba soon ran forward and latched himself onto the reunion.

"I'll miss you guys too." She said without thinking.

Kiba pulled away. "What?.. you _**will**_ miss us?"

Oh, of course.. they had come to rescue her. She was… she was going home… she was leaving everything?

She slowly loosened the iron shackles of Shino's embrace and the three stood apart each in their own bubble of temporary embarrassment and awkwardness left from the hug.

"I… Hanabi…Sasuke-kun…Orochimaru…Karin…Snoring…glasses… dust… all of it?" She made no sense, everyone stared.

"Oi… Hinata-chan." And there he was. His hair was slightly longer now, and it fell on his pure blue eyes, his lightly tanned skin and black muscle shirt were enough to make old Hinata comatose for a couple decades. Hinata didn't even blush now. She just thought… there he is. My Naruto-kun… him.

"You're coming home, with us."

Yet, he did not feel like him at all. Him was the boy covered in dust and spitting flames. Him was the boy who's eyes were filled with red haze and tears. Him was the boy who was so close to human… and could never be the monster he needed himself to be. She, of all people had fallen in love with not this sun-kissed smile… but the oddities and strange conversations  
Sasuke and her had shared. She knew him almost too well now. She was needed here… not in Kohona… he needed her to restore the human to his soul. He had changed her, she had changed him. No matter how beautiful the four of them looked, offering her the trip she had dreamed for so manty smudged scratches ago… she could not leave. She could not leave Sasuke Uchiha, she could not leave Orochimaru's lair. She was part of it, not Kohona.

Remembering Karin's words Hinata cursed the red haired fiend for jinxing her. She couldn't go home now. She could never return home now. She could never be Hinata Hyyuga , heiress to the Kohona Hyyuga clan. She was Hinata the Missing nin. The girl with the sapphire shackle, the girl with the newfound glint in her eyes.

"I am sorry… to all of you." She didn't stutter a word and her eyes were locked with

the four boys who here dumbstruck by her assertive manner.

"I will not go. I cannot leave Sasuke… or anything from this place behind."

Kiba's expression slowly twisted. "How could you fall for him./…" He said softly, a growl rising in his throat. "HOW COULD YOU FALL FOR HIM!? LOOK WHAT WE'VE DONEW! WE'VE RISKED OUR LIVES TO GET YOU HOME! HOW DARE YOU MAKE THIS A FAILED MISSION! HOW DARE YOU LOVE HIM…More than us."

"Your mission was to bring back the Hyyuga heiress." She said, and smiled at her sister, who smiled back, eyes shining in the while light.

"And you will do just that. Hanabi will be one of the best leaders this world has ever seen."

"Your loetting her take your place?… she doesn't cut it. Not to me." Kiba said, his eyes once again blistering with anger.

"If you won't come, We'll take you by force!" He quickly threw a kick and an arm to grab her hand… but was caught. Caught by the weakest Ninja in Kohona… but one of the new strong members of the sound. She held one foot in one arm, and his open fist in the toher, smiling sadly, and then she bent in, and kissed him.

"Goodbye Kiba." She said slowly, only half realizing what she had just given up. Karin was right… she was so right, Hinata could never leave a place where people needed her for a place that didn't. She just… could never.

"Neji, she must be under some Jutsu… tell me she is, check." The red haze around Neji's eyes brightened…

"No… she acting of her own accord… there is nothing we can do. We need to leave, if Hanavbi is under too much stress and harsh contitions much longer who knows what will happen. We must go." He turned, without a glance, but and Kiba freed himself, and looked at his teammate with sad, angry and slightly proud eyes.

"You've changed… Hinata-chan… and we'll miss you."

"Hinata-chan." Shino looked like he was going to hug her again, but he just put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her violet eyes with his slightly cracked glasses.

"Be careful." The three simpley walked away. Her freedom… her teammates, her family… walking away. They were letting her, she was letting them.

Only Naruto was left.

"I won't understand…ever, why you and Sasuke left. I never will." He smiled.

"Are you sure? I'll still come after you, and Sasuke mostly of course, but… why?"

"Look…Naruto-kun…" Hinata pointed, and Naruto reluctantly looked away, hesitating because of how strange it felt to be speaking toa person you thought you knew.

"That;'s the place where you left me, calling for Sakura-chan when I was left all alone."

"And over there, she moved her hand to another place. That's where I finished running until sunset for weeks. That's where I became strong."

She then pointed to the forest.

"There is the place I've always wanted to go, to leave this place forever, but I will never leave this place forever. My battered heart belings here. You stavbbed it, pinned it to the gr9und and it's rooted to this spot. Now, you will go through those woods and I will watch you leave wishing it was me." She smiled, and Naruto looked as if his brain would explode…

"But… how… why…did I… your heart…" He made no sense.

"Just say Hi to Sakura-chan for me."

"Only if you tell Sasuke-teme I'll beat him to a pulp if he doesn't come back soon."

"I will…Naruto… just leave now… go before something bad happens."

Soon all four figures were gone, Hinata watched silent as ever and the stares one by one were snuffed, and the moon rolled itself behind the edge of the crater. At that moment, where this new world she had taken surrounded her, Hinata laughed, shattering the deep blue silence as dawn bhroke over the never ending night.


	13. The Great Silence

And so, a great time of silence came upon Orochimaru's lair, Interrupted only for a quick awkward laugh, of a grunt from traini

((Hey all, sorry for the long wait (My god I also need to finish dear friend in the next two days! EEP! The next couple of chapters could be considered filler, but they're slightly fluffy filler for once in my life. I'd also like to proudly proclaim that THIS FIC IS HALF-WAY THROUGH! In a way as girl-of-anime mentioned it's kind of like two stories, this one being the sequel. However I decided there was too much unsettled in the first part to make this a sequel. Also think of it as like Naruto, a half sequel kind of trip between the Shippuden and normal (Only keep in mind not much time has passed since the last chapter.

So much to do about sequels,

Sky))

End of Part One: Only from Hate

**Part Two, Chapter 13**

And so, a great time of silence came upon Orochimaru's lair, Interrupted only for a quick awkward laugh, of a grunt from training. This intense ignoring silence was created with the extreme tension and terror between the two bloodline heirs. Both knew something terrible the other didn't, both couldn't control their feelings, and speech would be like unscrewing the cork on a bottle of champagne that witnessed ten earthquakes. Hinata, who was never one for many words was afraid the truth would spill out of her like a river if she would speak a word. Sasuke, in his adolescent stupidity believed that the only way to save hinata from told fate was to never speak to her. This of course made it worse, for every time he saw the Hyyuga he would freeze. The lack of interaction gave time for perception. Hinata was quite pretty in her two obliterated outfits, yet they distracted him from his work.

"I cannot love." He would whisper in the deserted hallways.

"I cannot tell…" She would murmur in her sleep, tossing and turning to Karin's dismay.

The silence lasted for two weeks worth of scratches on Hinata's wall, but counting was useless here. Time was time, and Hinata didn't care to count. Kohona was no longer her home, she wouldn't pretend either. She **was** the enemy. She was a sound ninja. She was the villan, she was against all her friends, but she was wanted.

Despite this forced silence, specific moments required words, and certain situations clasped throats, forcing out words.

The first silence shattering incident was when yet another tear was added to the outfit Hinata had borrowed from Karin. The purple had worn to pale lavender, and this tear of fabric was located about two centimeters above the fullest part of Hinata's chest. This training was with Sasuke as always, and the slit was from his own kunai. As the fact slowly dawned on his mind that he had ripped her shirt, Sasuke found himself unwillingly staring at a pale line of her chest. That training session also marked the first time ever Hinata Hyyuga was able to beat Sasuke Uchiha Before it probably wouldn't have bothered him, but Orochimaru's words made him stumble on himself, question if he really could eject the Hyyuga from his life when she was standing right in front of him.

"I… was distracted." Pride could disobey any rule. The awkward silence was no exception, and despite his desperate attempts to stop interacting with Hinata and more than necessary, Sasuke had to defend himself for losing against the Hyyuga. Hinata looked up a mixture of calm with a glint of happiness at the familiarity of conversation. She of course hadn't completly realized in the heat of battle about the condition of her shirt.

"By what Sasuke-kun?" Hinata was clear and emotionless, keeping the illusion of silence. Anything more and she would break down, the events of the night would hit and her mouth would give birth to a river of unwanted truths.

There was a rustle in the sunlight as Sasuke quickly removed his shirt and tossed it onto her, causing a ferocious blush to pour onto her cheeks and flood her brain.

"S-s-" She couldn't quite speak.

The way he looked at her, the sun eclipsed by his back, you would think he would be saying something like "Ha, I can show more skin than you!" but instead Hinata got another ever-popular "Hn". Rustling in his pockets he dug out a weapon that Hinata recognized as one of the needles the girl from the sound had used in the preliminary round against Shikamaru.

"Sew yourself a different outfit." Now for the first time in what seemed like ages, there was a sentence. Five whole words. Hinata drank them in gladly and in a couple days had fixed the tears in her shirt and added sleeves. She also switched sections of the fabric to make the outfit a little less revealing and tight. The end result was a baggy lavender jacket with white sleeves.

Though this took her a day and a half to make, (and Karin's desperate attempts for her to make it low cut and skin tight didn't help) Hinata was fairly pleased and went to show Sasuke, once again in silence.

He looked her up and down, and seeing he would no longer be bothered during training didn't even bother with a 'hn', but nodded. Hinata smiled sadly, before disappearing.

He couldn't help it. Revealing clothing or not, she was still a distraction to him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The second silence shattering moment was a simple bump in the hallways of the lair. In fact, it didn't even shatter the silence, but it gave the effect. Night had settled, and Hinata was pacing outside of her door, reminiscing on the previous chapters of her life, and trying her hardest to ignore the sapphire shackle which kept her bound to her room. It wasn't like she would escape, she had already decided that herself. Shaking her head, she wandered back in time, through her mind to the streets of Kohona. Though the memory was hazy, and peoples faces were blurred, she remembered the ramen stand, the training grounds, Lady Tsunade, and Naruto in all his greatness. She remembered him so clearly, the ridiculous orange jacket, the silly grin. The determination in his eyes. _Yes, everything was there_. In his eyes was her determination: his determination; a beautiful power which gave birth to a fountain inside of her. It was golden and warmed her cheeks. His eyes gave her this golden feeling where she believed she could be…. Something. Something beautiful like him. Now, she wanted more than ever to leave, to be with him. But no, she had made her choice, and those blue eyes would fade with time, her cheeks would grow cold, and she would never have a chance to be.

Sasuke was slowly moving through the halls, his eyes grabbing every detail of the walls and shoving it into his mind brutally. His hand slowed his body, just barely to drink in the sensation of caressing the walls. He could never forget anything, he could never forgive anything. He could never forgive his brother… could he?

Shaking his head he moved on, quickening his pace in a desperate attempt to get leave his brother behind. Yet, as he tried to leave his brother's shadow there by the wall, he drew closer and closer to Hinata's room, and he soon became trapped by mental walls. He could not go to her, he could not see her face. He could not let Orochimaru win. He couldn't let her love him, he couldn't break down, and by refusing to speak, he could break free of the shackles that would bind them together. Free of the shackles, but not the cage.

No no no… Never let the words in. Control them, keep them still before they move your heart and activate your pulse.

Sasuke's heart had stopped long ago. It had stopped when he saw his parents dead.

Most importantly it needed to stay that way. Hinata was so pure, and even if it made her hate him, he could not let anything- or anyone for that matter- get in his way. Hinata was his toy, his air, but she could never his truly. Shaking his head he stumbled forward. How was it he could never find what would make him happy? He had everything, everyone wanted to be him, and he left it all, yet nothing made him happy. Even the thought of destroying his brother could not arouse an emotion. It had become instinct.

Without realizing it Sasuke had wandered closer to Hinata, closing his eyes, he felt the patterns on the wall trace beneath his fingers in endless curves…..

Soon enough, they collided, thought on thought, regret on regret…. White on black, as if for the first time, they saw each other. He looked at her, into her eyes and saw something, a spark. Within that expanse of white purity, he saw something he needed, something he wanted.

Hinata saw how far she had come. She saw that, though Naruto's golden aura had created a world for her, it wasn't real. She was never something, she could only imagine with him. Here, she was. She was strong, she was real, she was an imprint, and everyone would notice if she had left.

They stayed that way, forcing thoughts at each other for what seemed like hours. The gaze was intense, unbreakable, unthinkable. Words were not even necessary, the silence was broken, just by seeing one another. Everything was coming to life in each other's eyes. Both felt it in their hearts. Orochimaru was right.

"Hey guys…." Kabuto walked by, to pause and stare at the two ninja, simply staring, half kneeling on the floor in half pose to get up.

"Guys….?" He looked at them, Hinata's expression fearful shy and knowing, Sasuke's dominant but scattered, his blunt anger was broken by her shy nature. Pushing up his glasses Kabuto smirked.

"I'll never understand Kohona ninja."

((Well, there you have it, probably the only chapter you'll get for about seven weeks. Sorry for having to leave, but there's no way to write fanfiction at interlochen.))


	14. Everyone Moves On

And so, a great time of silence came upon Orochimaru's lair, Interrupted only for a quick awkward laugh, of a grunt from traini

"UGH! SHUT UP HINATA!" Karin smacked her friend across the waist with a half asleep hand. It was midnight, and earplugs or not, Hinata's dreams kept Karin awake all night long.

"Sasuke… It wasn't him…Orochimaru, kill him! Kill him! KILL ME!" She moaned and Karin just sighed.

"I'm thinking of doing that even without you screaming it… and you say I'm obsessed with Sasuke." She grinned, settling back down under the covers of her bed.

"Mmmm…Sasuke…. be in my dreams too!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"No… I can't, I don't, I WON'T LOVE YOU! … I won't…. I can't… I…. Want to…but…" Sasuke backed away from Kabuto slowly, staggering in his sleep,

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He spun around and slammed into the door before falling face first onto Kabuto's chest.

"Uggghhh…." Both men uttered in Unison.

"Why do I have to share a room with an emoboy!?" Said Kabuto trying to brush off Sasuke's half asleep-corpse.

Shaking himself awake "Shut up Dobe." Was his response.

Kabuto Grinned, sitting up as Sasuke pushed himself away.

"So….." His grin split ear to ear, to ecstatic to be a proper smirk.

"Was it me you were screaming about in your sleep? 'Oh, no, I can't love you!'" he over dramatized the voice, and covered his eyes in fake suspense.

"I love you, I love you so much! Take me now!" He stopped seeing the acid glare he was receiving. He hummed a triumphant tune of having successfully embarrassed his bunkmate before laying back down.

"Honestly, how do you expect me to believe you're straight when-" Kabuto was silenced as Sasuke punched his glasses into a shattered mess on the floor.

"Fuck you."

Wincing Kabuto shut up, but was still dying to say _"I'd bet you'd like to."_

It was so satisfying to beat Sasuke at something, just once.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She was waiting when they returned. Sweat drenched and empty handed, the looks on their faces sad, but not quite sad enough as they slowly passed through Kohona's gates. Neji's eyes were heavy and his Hyyuga pride had gone out like a candle, replaced with pure exhaustion. Kiba was jogging half-heartedly behind, still in a state of shock. Shino just walked stoic as ever, if not even more frigid. The buzzing aura of his kikai's distress was apparent.

Behind all of them, was Naruto, The sun was in his face, and instead of his usual dumb smile, he was thinking, his eyes distant. (A/N how weird is that?)) No matter what he did just couldn't figure Hinata. She was so foreign and shy, so alien in her nature that she would always do the opposite of what he'd expect her to do.

Shaking his head, he quickened his pace as at last the dusty familiar streets of Kohona appeared beyond the gate. The sun was rising like a cracked egg or spilled milk it was an unusually white day. The gates slowly shut behind them, shutting in the shame of a failed mission.

She walked up, quietly and attentively like a deer approaching a wounded wolf, her legs picking their steps toward him as delicately as possible. Usually Naruto was wild with anger when he came back empty handed, and the sadness of a severed team and Sasuke's betrayal would tear at his soul, and wash inside him like an ocean leaving almost nothing on the shores of his thoughts but emptiness. She would always cry out inside when she saw him in this state, she would always want to hug him close, let him beat at her with his inner pain until it died away. Sakura didn't know what to do then, because she couldn't show him affection, not after all those years of rejection…

Yet relief pressed itself to her face as she realized Naruto was smiling.

"Sakura!" She had waited for him, she cared about him, and that look of happy relief on her face was for him. Their over-cheerfulness at the situation and at each other began to grow, until the other three just sighed and left. What use was moping in front of two overjoyed love birds.

"I missed you." They said awkwardly, in a sort of half-unison.

Averting his eyes, Naruto said

"Hinata… told me to… say hi to you…"

Sakura looked up, and in spite of the moment, smacked Naruto hard, sending him flying into one of the many famous convenient Kohona brick walls.

"YOU BAKA! YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HER, BUT DIDN'T BRING HER BACK!?"

Naruto didn't complain, which made herm worry, made her stop. Did she jump to his smile too quickly?

He just stared from the obliterated wall, the dust sticking to his face.

"I couldn't…." His eyes looked right through her, through all of Kohona to Orochimaru's lair. To Kabuto, Sasuke and Hinata (A/N Naruto doesn't know about Karin) It sounded like a team name, he had seen her face, so much stronger, no stuttering… why couldn't she have done that before, why could the dark transform her in a way the light couldn't?

"I couldn't bring her back because…" His eyes slowly made there way back to Sakura's.

"She didn't want to come back…"

Sakura looked puzzled as if to say _"Hinata didn't want to come back with YOU?"_

He shook his head, and slammed his fist into the rubble, getting up slowly.

"I just don't understand anything anymore, my actions are all useless… Sasuke doesn't even want to come back. I'm just…" He was met with a finger to his lips as Sakura silenced him.

"The whole point of actions is the **act.** Sasuke's a prat, but never give up on him. You two may drift apart, you may look into his eyes and see a stranger, but deep inside, he's still Kohona's resident emo." It sounded like she had given up on him, Her words lifted him up, and he took a step towards his house.

Sakura however, using her super strength, spun him around and began to push him in the other direction.

"Sakura?" Was she having her monthly time or something? Why was she so attached to him?

"Where are we going?"

"The ramen stand, I'll split the bill with you, and pay tip."

"Thanks…" he smiled.

If only her monthly time was daily…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"WHAT!? But I just got here!" Hinata sat quietly, watching this Phenomenon. She was actually quite terrified. Orochimaru was standing in the doorway, leaning to one side casually, his eyes grinning and his tongue writing in his purple slit lips. However, Karin, half dressed, baggy eyed and messy haired at some ungodly morning hour was just as fierce as ever. Standing in her bra she was seething, her hair standing up like a bonfire.

"I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HERE!! It's my birthday tomorrow, and after one month of half-rest you send me on ANOTHER FUCKING GOD-FOR-SAKEN-VILLAGE-HIDDEN-IN-THE-RIDICULOUSLY-BORING-AND TEDIOUS-MISSION-AS-YOUR-SPOKESPERSON! AGGGRRRRRHHHHHH!!"

If Hinata didn't specify before, she was terrified.

Orochimaru simply leaned back and removed two earplugs, the same kind Karin had.

"It's a mission to stay for a year and a half at the village hidden in the waterfall. You're there to make them not-so-hidden, take their best ninja, and the chakra-strengthening water back to us. You will play the part of a wounded girl attacked by the Akatsuki." He was interrupted by a never ending stream of swearing from Karin, which included a couple of words Hinata didn't even know.

"SILENCE!" Orochimaru spat and his look was so electrifyingly evil that Karin did shut up, only to see Hinata's frozen face melt into sub-conscious, and begin reciting another wild string of profanity.

Disgusted, Orochimaru closed his eyes and said "Is there… anything that would make you shut up?" Karin froze in mid 'Fucking-full-of-shit-you-jack-ass-hoe-bag' A wild grin spread across her face.

"Let everyone go out to the nearest village for my birthday!!" she said with over-emphasized glee.

Orochimaru buried his eyes in his face like an overworked father, fishing out a giant sack of ryo, and handing it over as if it were a dead fish.

"AWESOME! HEAR THAT HINATA!?" The Hyyuga had just awoken from her state of terror and she saw Karin's face in hers.

"FOR MY LAST DAY WE'RE ALL GOING TO TOWN AND GETTING WASTED!!"

……. Hinata fainted.

((Yeah, so a not so great chapter, but I have to warm up my hands from 7 weeks of isolation. So, in a week or two my output of chapters will go down to a slower pace because I'm starting two new fics at once of the two other pairings I

ship the most in Naruto. Really the rest of my favored pairings are Akatsuki gaydom/Pein and Konan and I know I'd fail at yaoi considering I don't even read it XP.

So one is a Narusaku comedy/thing called "Sweet Nothings are a Sin"

And the Shikatema half serious one's called "What's Been Lost"

Look out for them if you like those pairings, and hopefully I'll update them quickly

Happy to be home,

Sky))


	15. Karin's Party

((Sorry guys, not only was my chapter beyond lame, it also gave the hint that (yes yes it's true) I'm doing the cliché 'Naruto

((Sorry guys, not only was my chapter beyond lame, it also gave the hint that (yes yes it's true) I'm doing the cliché 'Naruto characters get drunk' scene in this story. Sorry, but I need a little bit of filer, and it is basically getting somewhere. The plot will get back in gear in 2 or 3 chapters, I promise. Also, I don't want to do that whole begging for reviews, but I got about 1,000 new page views for only from hate when I posted this chapter, and only 2 reviews! TT I feel so in the dark when people don't say what they like or what I need to improve on.

Also, you may ask "How on earth can Sasuke down so much alcohol?!" Well, their ninjas and it takes a lot to make them drunk, especially if they don't get drunk often (In my world this is) their body control, immune system and usual over attentiveness makes it harder for them to dumb down their senses.

Oh and on a final note, if you like Narusaku or Shikatema, try out the first chapters of my new fics. You might like them :)

Sky))

Sasuke slammed his head against the wall, running cracks down the already creased and worn halls of the lair. It was almost as if this new world of his was getting older, tiresome.

_You shouldn't care. All that matters is revenge. Personal comfort is a sign of weakness._

"I'm not weak." He muttered to himself. "And I **don't **care."

"You seemed to care a lot last night!" Kabuto grinned, still basking in his puny victory. Sasuke looked up eyes red, and soon the hall was filled with clatter and commotion, a couple childish shouts of "AM NOT!" and "ARE TOO", a black eye, and a bloody nose.

This wasn't the only commotion going on, however, this battle was much more refined, and took place in front of a dusty old mirror. It was so calm that any male who would have walked by, wouldn't have been able to notice the hardening dark atmosphere around Hinata and Karin's room.

"But Hinata, it's so cute on you, and you should do me a favor, it's my **LAST DAY**!" A mop of hair said a little too sweetly, while trying to force something sparkly and low cut over hinata's head.

"No really, _**Karin**_… I'm sure it wouldn't fit right!" Hinata said, trying to escape from her 'friend's iron grip.

"No no… I **Insist**!" Karin, said, now jumping up and down, while trying to cram the dress over Hinata's struggling corpse.

"Just…. Anything but this one!" Hinata cried, finally giving up on their façade of sweetness.

She realized what she said as Karin grinned. "Anything?" Hinata opened her mouth for protest but before she could utter the magic words (NO NO NO GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!)

Karin had thrown the sparkling monstrosity back in the drawer, and had shook her head grinning. "Done and done Hinata, now lets see what we have here…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Oi…Sasuke-kun…man, Orochimaru bought us _clothes._ I mean, I knew he was gay, but even this is excessive for him." Kabuto wouldn't shut up. It was making Sasuke sick. Usually they were just allies, with Kabuto attempting a rivalry every now and then. Now, as if his gay comments had created an inseparable bond, he thought they were equal, and that he could talk his silver-haired head off all day and Sasuke would listen.

However, it was strange that he had actually given them formal clothing. It was just Karin over-dramatizing something. At least, that's what he thought it was.

Still, at least it wasn't ostentations traditional wear. Sasuke hated that kind of thing. The black pants weren't _that_ itchy, even if they did cling, and the shirt was just a pop-collared white man-blouse that v-necked down to show his chest. Tolerable, the only thing he disliked was that it would occasionally show his curse mark, and it might give them away. Sasuke didn't want to kill people drunk, he assumed it would be a pain.

"Don't you think Sasuke-kun?" Kabuto had taken off his glasses, he was wearing a black and purple jacket with a white undershirt. Sasuke resisted the urge to stain his outfit red. Setting his sword on the table he muttered a "Sure, whatever." Unaware of what the question even was.

- - -- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hinata didn't realize how long it had been since she was in a real civilization. She found herself distracted by those awful wonderful city smells, and little things like music coming from shops, or telephones made her bubble up with happiness and memories of Kohona.

However, her fascinations were being constantly interrupted by stares (Which especially from strangers, still made her uncomfortable) and her dress. It was silver/white and extremely clingy, not to mention strapless (well, see-through blue straps didn't count in hinata's opinion.)

The strapless bra Karin had leant her was too small, and the slit at the bottom of the dress kept revealing more of that see through blue.

Karin had given her three choices. One dress was yellow and looked more like a bikini than formal wear. One was pink and be-jeweled with so much sparkle that it nearly blinded her byakugan when the sun shone through their window. Then there was this one. The only thing she liked was the embroidery. It was blue, and it showed some abstract scene of ravens flying out of the sea. (To her the sea looked more like a set of blue fox tails). Pulling up the garment in question, she tried to catch up with the group, hobbling on her first ever heels, and earning herself a couple blisters.

Karin had chosen the Yellow dress, which looked a little bit more orange in the light. It looked good, but skanky, and so as to not draw too much attention, Hinata hung back with the boys.

It had turned out that Kabuto's question to Sasuke had been "My hair would look a whole lot better in your style, and it'd attract Karin, Don't you think Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke, had unfortunately said 'Sure whatever" and Kabuto's hair had become an over- gelled mess. Sasuke was suprized he had a thing for Karin. After all, she was so… well…. Fangirl-ish.

His hair had ended up a little like that perverted hermit's…(Sasuke didn't remember his name) but Karin had messed with it so now, he looked like a strange mixture of Kakashi, and Gaara. Yet it suited him, in a strange Kabuto-like way.

As they made their way to the 'restaurant' (As Karin had told Hinata) Sasuke winced at the music. The bass level was bothering him from about 8 yards away, but, despite this he tried his very hard to focus on just that when Hinata walked by. He had to admit, Karin had done a good job on her. She even smelled good, and her clumsiness with her new look made his hormones rage, pounding his brain harder than the music he was no even keener to get closer too.

"Ano…"

_No…god don't speak Hinata…._ Sasuke looked away.

"Sasuke-kun, are we really going_ here?_" He involuntarily turned, she looked so wide eyed, he wanted to grab her right there, and let his rage out on her, how dare she distract him, how dare she bring his cold lump of a heart back to life. He wanted to crush her innocence and he wanted to forget about revenge…

Sasuke would never forget about revenge. It was with him like a shadow or a nightmare. He would never be able escape the torment, not even Hinata could do that for him.

"Four of the strongest thing you've got!" Karin smiled at the bartender, and they had their drinks in seconds.

"Ano…Karin…" Hinata was too quiet. She spoke again "Karin…"

"KARIN!"

"WHAT!?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY STRONG!?" The Hyyugas were a disciplinary family, and even talking about Alcohol was out of the question. She was more oblivious to that than she was of the man a few seats over staring at her boobs.

"YOU'LL SEE HINA-CHAN!!"

That was the hint that Hinata shouldn't drink it.

"I bet I can drink more than you." Kabuto said to Sasuke, that Naruto-like grin still stamped on his face.

"WHAT?" Sasuke said, the music still booming in his ears.

"I SAID, I BET I CAN DRINK MORE THAN YOU!" Sasuke took his first ever swig of Alcohol, and felt it run down his brain, he felt warmer, and suddenly the music was more his style.

"YOU'RE ON!" He yelled back, and drained the glass, calling for seconds.

Hinata was Sitting in between Kabuto and Sasuke, it was obvious that Karin had hoped she and Kabuto would click. Since she was clinging to Sasuke like her skimpy dress clung to her skin.

As Hinata tried to focus on the ice melting in her untouched drink, she began to notice Sasukes stare. With every gulp it grew even more intense.

Sasuke's brain was slowly relaxing, sinking into the pool of spirits he had just doused. He was swaying towards tipsy, but by the first drink he was too drunk to stop drinking.

5 more drinks and Karin's arms were feeling a little too tight, he couldn't relax like that, he didn't want her, she was just another pre-won trophy. He slung her off, and she fell on the guy next to her, making him smile crookedly.

7 more drinks and his memories were fading. Hinata was next to him, her scent untouched by the spirits, and it swam it's way into his mind, blocking all other thoughts_. Revenge…_ he should be thinking about Itachi.

A few more empty glasses and Sasuke had forgotten all about revenge, let alone Hinata's well being. Who cares what Orochimaru would do to her in the end, life existed for his whim and not hers.

"Hinata…" He swayed slightly, smirking at how cute she looked, shrunken in the club environment.

"Huh?" She normal wouldn't have been able to hear him, but he was speaking in her hear, his fingers slowly creeping into her hair. She tried to ignore how close they were, and how Karin and Kabuto were both on the dance floor, too drunk and far away too notice. She put her mouth on the straw, fiddling with the water level, but never actually tasting the liquid.

And then it happened. Five words, whispered in that snakelike drunken trance of a tone, his disgusting but alluring breath hot in her face.

"I think I love you." Then she jumped, and instead of gasping inhaled a mouth full of alcohol and… swallowed.

"Sasuke-kun…I-" She sputtered… but then realized the alcohol hadn't done anything. She was still alive, unharmed, and it tasted just fine. There was nothing wrong with a drink. Plus, she wanted to taste just a little more.

"Drink." Sasuke said, handing her another glass. It was a command, so Hinata complied.

Now, they had the same Disgusting alluring breath, and were both muttering nonsensical love poems in each other's ear, both trying to explain in their ramblings the problems they had faced at the forbidden door.

Neither wanted to dance, not with each other in mind, not in Hinata's heels, but they did stumble towards a dark corner, Sasuke leading, his mind in a daze, but his body swift as ever.

Hinata had barley downed 4 drinks, and she was already worse than Sasuke, unlike what was normal for ninjas she was extremely susceptible to the affects of Alcohol and she clung to the Uchiha half as a balancer, half out of love. He liked that, he wanted to protect her, he wanted her innocent stare to always be focused on him. Now, after everything that happened, they were together, fears and doubts left in their empty glasses back at the bar.

"Well…that was unexpected." Karin was too drunk, to cry, or be upset when she saw them. Honestly, she didn't think Hinata even had it in her, smearing the lipstick Karin had spent so long talking her into, all over Sasuke's face. He? He didn't shrug her off, or shake his head, or even say 'hn' he just wrapped his arms around her like a child who just found his mother, and kissed her back. In fact, she felt more like floating than crying, or sobbing, or hurting Hinata. It was because, she had never seen Sasuke's eyes so alive, she had never seen a smile, so small and genuine on his face when he rested his face in the crook of her drunken neck. It was so unlike him, to be the comforted one. Yet, he looked like he needed someone to cry to, someone to hold and be held by, someone who would tell him it's aright and wipe his tears once his heart finally unfroze.

The truth was, Karin really did care about Sasuke. She just had a funny way of showing it. So she said yes when a stranger asked her to dance. He had silver hair and playful grey eyes, and she had never really looked into him until now.

_It's my last night, I might as well, be happy._

So she spoke those same slurred poems, and sang along to those overplayed clichés all night long, and smiled whenever she thought of the hands on her waist, or the idea of leaving. Of finally moving on.

((Ak, two authors notes?! You have to be kidding me!

Yeah, so in case you didn't know, I'm a high school freshman, I don't exactly know about these places, or what it feels like to be drunk, or anything. So don't kill me for that one. It's kind of weird, the way Sasuke's turning out in this fic. I've just always thought of Sasuhina as sasuke usually being dominant, but then as he slowly stops being a machine bent on revenge, he re-realizes how everyone is dead, and sort of becomes a child, someone who needs a mom, or someone who can accept his humiliating weakness and make him strong again. So, I see him as someone who would when drunk, either go into a blind rage, or end up like this.

3 please review,

Sky))


	16. Goodbye

((HELP ME YOU GUYS!!!!! So. . . I'm having trouble writing this story and going through writers bloc. . . because I'm slowly losing feelings for Sasuhina!!!!! It was like, my favorite pairing and I'm starting to feel it less!!! And you guys have to help be because it is fanfiction gold, and it makes me so happy! If you have any really good Sasuhina fics, or vids or whatever, please send them to me!))

Hinata felt like an ocean was raging in her head. 10 title waves. She felt like she was going to puke.

"Get up princess. . . at least you didn't snore tonight." Karin was fine, despite the fact that she must've had three times as much alcohol as Hinata. She realized she was still wearing the dress from last night, and her eyes focused on the blue transparent sleeves, trying to block the pounding out of her head.

"I said get up princess! I'm leaving! Won't you miss me?" Did she actually care? Hinata tried to reorganize her thoughts and get her pounding head in gear. It was as if the bassline from the music last night had been permanently implemented into her brain. Only 10 times louder and 5 hours later.

"After all, Sasuke's waiting." The bassline in her head stopped.

_Sasuke. . . Sasuke. . . SASUKE!_ Blurred images from last night slowly focused into her brain, turning her a revolting shade of red.

"Oh. . . god. . . ." Hinata crumpled inside.

Suddenly, Karin didn't look too cheerful and happy to her. She knew Karin liked him. . . her smile seemed to transform into a wicked grin in Hinata's mind.

"Ooooh, you think I still like him don't you? Well, don't worry about it, you guys are like, sooooooooo cute together, I'm totally over it!" Hinata wasn't convinced, but she still summoned her strength and managed to roll out of bed.

"Here Princess, take this." Karin handed her a wet towel and a small pill.

_Please don't call me princess. . . _Hinata had always hated when branch members called her that, why'd Karin even start?

"Swallow, and use this to wash the make-up off your face."

_Oh god. . . make-up too?_ Last night was like a dream. . . a strange twisted dream in which someone who looked exactly like her fell in love. . . and was loved back.

_I was loved. . . back?_ She shook her head and for once, pulled off the whole tough look, slapping the towel on her face, and taking the pill dry. She really was becoming stronger, even acting the part. Karin smirked, before exiting the room with a false salute.

"We did a good job on you, Hina-chan."

As Hinata wiped the crumbling false beauty of last nights make-up off her face, she realized that she was evil.

She was one of those people who had killed Neji's father for his eyes, burned down villages, and turned prodigies into monsters. She was one of those people she had trained to fight, to bring down. She had wanted to become stronger to defeat evil. Now that she was stronger evil was a part of who she was.

She suddenly felt like crying, but, the strong did not cry. She couldn't bring herself to shed a single drop of self-pity.

"Oh god. . . what have I done with myself?" She looked at herself in the dusty old mirror, her tiny pale hands now callused and dirty, the corners of her eyes shadowy from the club of last night, her eyes holding hazy blue tone. Not exactly a friendly one, but a formidable aura.

_I guess everything comes at a price_. Since strong wasn't Hinata, Hinata couldn't stay herself in exchange. For the first time, it was not determination that made her push open the door, but full out habit. It wasn't new territory, it wasn't the strange twisted new world she called home. It was part of her now. Just home. She didn't feel twisted at all, and that was what made her feel ill.

"Hey."

She turned around. . . and there was Sasuke, leaning on the wall opposite her, his face sour, but his voice kind. She wondered if this was a genjutsu. . . or if she was dreaming. Sasuke Never said 'hey'. She was expecting him to ignore her again. . . she was _hoping_ he would.

He was walking towards, her, she couldn't move. His hands were callused like hers, they traced her face, icy and surreal. Suddenly, Hinata felt the twinge of blue haze underneath her eyes burst forth, and the near invisible lines of chakra swept across her face. _My new Byakugan is activiating. . ._

Her eyes narrowed.

_And then my plan will be complete!_ It was not Sasuke's thought process. Something was different, She couldn't know it, or place her finger on it, but the new Byakugan didn't lie. The Sasuke whose fingers rested in her hair, and whose eyes rested on her face wasn't real.

She backed away now, her eyes narrowing.

". . . Kabuto-san. . . Karin-san. . . is this some kind of joke?" The fake Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in what looked like a victory before disappearing. That expression. . . she knew it from somewhere. As well as the icy feeling of his touch.

"Or are you possibly. . . Oro. . . chi. . . maru?" She asked the empty hallway. It responded with an echo of her voice, wavering and distorting as it faded away.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sasuke woke up alone. He dressed alone, and dragged his hung-over head down the hallways, alone.

He felt as if he was back in Kohona, with thousands of people pouring over him, their souls praising and dancing over him with false understanding. He kept glancing over his shoulder, expecting to see someone pointing or whispering bout last night. Someone making a big deal out of his every step. But he was alone.

Until he saw her. Hinata, last nights drunken adventures affecting the way he perceived her every move. His eyes were no longer in denial. His mind narrowed on her, split between hatred, and lust. _How dare she make him human?_ But then. . . he saw himself. . . Himself? He shook his head, wondering if he was dreaming, or still just really really drunk. No, that was defiantly his hands running over her face, or at least an imitation. It was too good to be an invention of Kabuto or Karin.

"Is this a joke?" He heard her voice, and he saw the copy of himself vanish. It was too good an imitation for Hinata to have picked it out. Right? How could she tell? His mind was latched onto her, the way she paused, and despite the fact that her bloodline was activated, still didn't see him. Wasn't that how it always was?

"Oro. . . chi. . . maru?"

That's exactly what he was thinking.

"But now. . . I don't care anymore." He muttered to himself. He didn't care about what happened to him or Hinata in the end, he didn't care about what Orochimaru would do to her afterwards, and though he didn't admit it, he didn't care about revenge. He just wanted Hinata, and just about now would be perfect timing.

"Oi! SASUKE-KUN!!!" Time was never perfect for Sasuke, He saw Hinata jump at the sound of his name, and he smirked in her direction, before lowly turning to face the girl who'd called him.

". . . Karin." It was a statement. The Redhead paused, her hair spiked and wild on one side, and impossibly straight on the other. Her eyes locked with his, holding a strange emotion that, if he wasn't so cold hearted, would have broken him in a second. It wasn't terrifying, nothing scared Sasuke. It was fierce and warm, a simple warning of what he was going to go through. It said _I don't love you anymore, and you can't control me._ And it held some of his own emotions, a smirk of victory at him finally falling for someone, and this wild glint of friendship. He blinked, and it was gone. She was normal Karin again, and she said simply; "Get Hina-chan and lets go, I'm leaving in 10 minutes." Sasuke didn't move.

Karin sighed and said "Oi! HINA-CHAN!!!!!!" exactly the way she called his name before. Sasuke smiled, another fangirl off his back. At least he didn't have to knock this one out to get his point across.

As Hinata shyed over, Sasuke never gave her a second glance. He was unsure how to move now. He could have charmed her in a second if he didn't like her. . . but now that he did, he felt awkward, like a child.

"Ugh, you people move so slow!" Karin immediately grabbed both of them by the elbows and dragged them down the hallways, which almost made the look of the lair less menacing.

"When I come back, we're going out again you guys, same club, only we're staying out ALLLLLL night! You two might just have to get a room." Neither of them responded to her comment. She just grinned all the same, prancing down the hallways like some sort of deranged bat.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"You remember the mission criteria?" Orochimaru sounded more like a concerned parent than a snake magic sannin.

"Yeah yeah." And Karin was the despondent teenager.

"As I said before, You'll play a wounded leaf ninja. Kohona has good bonds with the waterfall village, and that's rare since they barely have bonds with anyone at all. Now, you need your wounds." Hinata stared. He was really going to beat her up, just for a mission's sake? She wouldn't put it past him. . .

His hands formed once again, seals and symbols she had never even seen before, and then he touched her lightly on the head. Instantly, her arm jutted out at a weird angle, her face became bruised and bloody, and cuts traced themselves all over her now mangled body. . . she smiled then, and looking at a now pale and struggling not to panic Hinata, laughed. "It's okay Hinata. It doesn't hurt at all. That's the jutsu. The wounds can fool any medical ninja, they heal slowly and have no real impact on the body." Hinata was still struggling to unlock her eyes from the sight of the mangled creature in front of her.

"The only catch." Orochimaru said with a glare. "Is that if you actually get hurt, even a tiny scratch, your pain will come full force."

"Yeah yeah, but that's easy." She said. Even Karin was beginning to question Orochimaru's unwavering care for her welfare. She looked as if she would say more to him, but she simply threw on a cloak and picked up a pack, giving one last glance over her shoulder, her glasses slipping slightly, and her hair flailing in the wind.

"I think I'll actually miss you, Hinata." The Hyyuga blinked. She was gone.

"I-I" She cursed herself for stuttering, the habit was beneath her now.

"I think I'll miss you too, Karin."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As Hinata left, Sasuke following behind her, half like a loyal dog, half like a Hungary wolf, Kabuto turned to his master.

"A party, money, chiding her like a father… Orochimaru-sama?"

For once the man with the eyes a snake did not look heartless, but nearly heart broken.

"The Chances that Karin will survive this mission… are slim to none."


End file.
